JASPER JOHNS (B. 1930)

Jasper Johns' Color Numerals Series--a set of ten lithographs in colors executed in 1969--is arguably his most visually arresting exploration of the numeral subject in printed form. In his earliest prints from the 1960s, Johns' subjects included readymade icons such as targets, coat hangers, flags and numerals, as well as lithographic impressions of his own hand. Johns masterfully utilizes the unique properties of lithography in these early efforts, combining the immediacy of drawing on the lithographic stone with the ability to continually rework the image or even recycle the image into the next composition.