PAINTING
Jasper John's "Field Painting" was created between 1963 and 1964. It was a part of the style known as Neo-Dadaism and alludes through it's work to the works of different masters (as do many of his pieces). The canvas size is roughly 6 ' x 3'. The canvas
is split in two down the middle, or one could argue that these are actually two 6' by 1.5' canvas arranged side by side with a 1" gap in the center. The frame is made of wood and is also separated from the canvas by a 1" gap. This is one of the many ways that Johns bring depth into the piece.
Stenciled into the piece are the words "RED", "BLUE" and "YELLOW", though these colors do not primarily make up the piece. On hinges attached between the two canvases are the letters that make up the words "RED", "BLUE" and "YELLOW". These are three dimensional constructions that seem as though they may have been used to make the stencils, though upon closer inspection it becomes apparent that this is not how the stencils could have been made (at least not while the letters were hinged).
Johns also uses many found objects, the most intriguing of which is the neon letter "R", which introduces the first real interactivity of the piece. A switch on the left hand side seems to be the control to turn the neon light on or off (of course I wasn't able to test this theory).
My reaction was simply enjoying the piece. It was fun and evoked curiosity. I wanted to know how he made the piece and why he used the found objects that are in his piece.