For my first project based on the theme of line, I initially wanted to research colour. I wanted to investigate how coloured shapes intercept and overlap each other, forming patterns in an array of colour.

I wanted to find information based on the American artist Jasper Johns, as he produced vibrant colourful paintings based on various themes. I found a book in the library, “Jasper Johns: A Retrospective” by Kirk Varnedoe, which illustrated his painting, “Map”, created in 1961 (figure 1). The bright painting however, is limited in colour, as only the primary colours of red, yellow and blue are used, as well as introducing small amounts of white and black paint over certain areas.
I furthered my knowledge on the “Map” painting by searching the internet for information. I found the Museum of Modern Art website, where I watched an interview based on the history of the piece (figure 2). The interview implies that Jasper John’s “Map” was painted to illustrate the idea of chaos, as it created was during an uncertain time in America. In 1961, John F. Kennedy became America’s 35th president and the civil rights movement was just beginning, causing a clear distinction of segregation between the states. The concept of chaos is further supported, by the way Jasper Johns’ has painted different states and boundaries. For example, some boundaries were unclear, messy and some, were even missed. The way the paint had been applied also indicates Jasper Johns’ feelings towards the country at this time. It is clear that both sources indicate how the painting illustrates the new and changing country.
Following my initial research, I used the internet to search for brightly coloured fashion in the 60s. I discovered images of vivid mini dresses based on the primary colours of red, yellow and blue (figure 3). During the 60’s fashion, the Pop art era was introducing bold, vivid colours which later turned into polka dots and patterns.

To expand my knowledge of the 60’s colour palette and fashion, I used the internet to search for exhibitions based on my research. I found that the V&A Gallery have an exhibition based on 60s fashion, however, it limited my knowledge as it had little information and photographs (figure 4).

Overall, I have found the internet to be the best area to find information about Jasper Johns and 60’s colour and fashion. The internet was a quick resource and had vast amounts of information from different galleries, articles and imagery. However, to gain a deeper knowledge and understanding of art i.e. the “Map” painting and 60’s fashion, like exhibited in the V&A museum, I would like to visit the exhibitions to see the work in person and develop my own understanding of the pieces.

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Bibliography

• Figure 1: Varnedoe, K. (2006). Jasper Johns: A Retrospective. New York: The Museum of Modern Art, New York.
• Figure 2: 1960s Fashion. (n.d.). Retrieved October 18, 2017, from Victoria & Albert Museum: https://www.vam.ac.uk/collections/1960s-fashion
• Figure 3: 1960s Fashion: What Did Women Wear? (n.d.). Retrieved December 18, 2017, from www.vintagedancer.com: https://vintagedancer.com/1960s/1960s-fashion-womens/
• Figure 4: Art, T. M. (2013, December 30). www.youtube.com. Retrieved October 18, 2017, from Screen shot of Youtube clip taken from MoMA: Screen shot of Youtube clip taken from MoMA. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wer4F-2qd-Y