Usuyuki

1977–1978
(American, b. 1930)
Framed: 89.2 x 143.8 x 4.5 cm (35 1/8 x 56 5/8 x 1 3/4 in.); Unframed: 86.4 x 45.7 cm (34 x 18 in.)
© Jasper Johns / Licensed by VAGA at Artists Rights Society (ARS), NY
This artwork is known to be under copyright.
Location: not on view

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Did You Know?

Although the work may initially seem randomly designed, it is quite precisely ordered. The three panels are divided into 27 rectangular subsections.

Description

Usuyuki is a Japanese word meaning thin or light snow and, indeed, the painting's subtle colors and intricate patterns, with their suggestions of movement, recall the drift of falling snowflakes. Johns's method of painting at this time involved cutting strips of newspaper and covering them with a mixture of pigment and beeswax, called encaustic. After applying this mixture to the canvas, Johns pressed circular and rectangular cans into the surface to create visible imprints throughout the image.
Usuyuki

Usuyuki

1977–1978

Jasper Johns

(American, b. 1930)
America, 20th century

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