The Politics of Jasper Johns’s Gray American Flags

This chapter examines Jasper Johns’s Flag paintings. It argues, contrary to the prevailing critical assumption that the flags are aesthetic objects without reference beyond the art work, the narrative of art history and John’s oeuvre, that they have a political and ideological dimension. In particular, Johns’s flags engage with the iconic and historical significance of the American flag through exposing the transience and multiplicity of its meanings for the spectator. The chapter underlines the tensions and contentions invested in Johns’s flags through analysis of the artist’s use of gray paint.