Dimensions: support: 1372 x 1048 mm frame: 1401 x 1078 x 48 mm
Copyright: © Jasper Johns | CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 DEED, Photo: Tate
Curator: This is Jasper Johns’ piece, "0 through 9," now residing at the Tate. Editor: My first thought is—what a riot of color! The forms seem almost obscured by the sheer physicality of the paint. Curator: Johns’ work often challenged the boundaries between painting and object. Here, he elevates common numerals through expressive brushwork and scale. I think Johns is prompting us to re-evaluate these mundane symbols. Editor: I'd say it's the composition, the arrangement of hues, that truly captivates. The relationship between these layered planes, not necessarily the numbers themselves. Curator: He's not just painting numbers; he's painting the idea of numbers, and perhaps commenting on their role in our society. Editor: Indeed. It's a testament to the enduring power of form and color to communicate beyond mere representation.
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In the 1950s, Johns began using flags, targets and numbers as the basis of his paintings. These were ordinary familiar things, but also had an iconic, emblematic quality. This work is one of a series that he undertook in the summer of 1960, using the superimposed numbers 0 to 9. Johns let the process of painting the number sequence dictate the structure of the painting. This allowed him to concentrate on the qualities of the paint itself, exploring colour and thickness. The result is a highly abstract structure, but one rooted firmly in the real world. Gallery label, September 2004
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