Gagosian Director Michael Cary Discusses "Jasper Johns: Between the Clock and the Bed.”

Why It Matters

The show recontextualizes a pivotal, under‑examined chapter of Johns’ career, reinforcing his market relevance and informing contemporary discourse on abstraction.

Key Takeaways

• Exhibition showcases Jasper Johns' crosshatch series at Gagosian.
• Crosshatch motif debuted 1976, revisited 2026, marking 50-year span.
• Six paintings reinterpret Edvard Munch’s 1943 self‑portrait in series.
• Series bridges Johns’ earlier iconic symbols with new abstraction.
• Gagosian’s show highlights evolution of Johns’ visual language.

Summary

Gagosian’s director Michael Cary opened ‘Jasper Johns: Between the Clock and the Bed’ at 980 Madison Avenue, a focused survey of the artist’s crosshatch period.

The crosshatch motif first appeared in January 1976 at Leo Castelli’s gallery and defined Johns’ practice for roughly a decade. The new show, inaugurated in January 2026, reunites six paintings that reinterpret Edvard Munch’s 1943 self‑portrait ‘Between the Clock and the Bed,’ offering a rare, cohesive look at this later phase.

Cary described the crosshatch works as an “unforeseen development” that shifted Johns from familiar symbols—flags, targets, numbers—to a more abstract visual language. He called the six‑painting series a “summation” of the period, emphasizing its role as a bridge between early iconography and later abstraction.

By assembling the complete series, the exhibition underscores Johns’ continual reinvention and provides collectors and scholars a clearer narrative of his artistic evolution, potentially influencing market valuations and future curatorial approaches to post‑modern American art.

Original Description

In this video, Gagosian director Michael Cary discusses "Between the Clock and the Bed," an exhibition of historic works by Jasper Johns, presented at Gagosian, 980 Madison Avenue, New York, from January 22 through April 24, 2026. This exhibition surveys the crosshatch paintings and drawings that dominated his practice from 1973 to 1983 and have reverberated across his subsequent production.

__________

Michael Cary inside “Jasper Johns: Between the Clock and the Bed" at Gagosian, 980 Madison Avenue, New York, 2026; Archival images of Jasper Johns in his studio, c. 1976–80. Photo © 1991 Hans Namuth Estate, courtesy Center for Creative Photography, University of Arizona; Artwork © 2026 Jasper Johns/Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York

#JasperJohns #Gagosian