Jasper Johns (b.1930) is an American painter, sculptor, and printmaker whose work is associated with abstract expressionism, Neo-Dada, and pop art.
Johns studied a total of three semesters at the University of South Carolina, from 1947 to 1948. He then moved to New York City and studied briefly at the Parsons School of Design in 1949. In 1952 and 1953 he was stationed in Sendai, Japan, during the Korean War.
In 1954, after returning to New York, Johns met Robert Rauschenberg and they became long-term partners. For a time they lived in the same building as Rachel Rosenthal. In the same period he was strongly influenced by the couple choreographer Merce Cunningham and composer John Cage. Working together they explored the contemporary art scene, and began developing their ideas on art.
Portrait by Jim Arkatov
