Jonathan Jones on Jasper Johns' Flag

In the Guardian today Jonathan Jones equates Jasper Johns’ Flag painting with The Great American Novel. He very quickly touches base on a number of Meta-naratives that are imposed on the artwork since it’s creation in 1954 or 1955. He argues that the flag paintings are a love or leave em’ kind of thing.

Jones further asks you to Look closer – to experience the work in itself. Mentioning that the original has fragments of headlines and photographs clipped from newspapers, sunk beneath the soft waxen surface of the work. Clearly he is trying to connect a political resonance with current event with the flag artworks – and I think this is interesting and silly at the same time. However after setting up an argument that is somewhat interesting concept he never delivers. I would have loved for Jones to expand his thoughts on The Great American Novel as it relates to the flag paintings. this seems like an opportunity missed.

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