Jasper Johns: A famous artist with SC ties

The eminent artist Jasper Johns made his mark as one of his generation’s most influential painters and printmakers. Born in Augusta, Ga. and raised in Allendale, S.C., Johns studied art at the University of South Carolina for three semesters before moving to New York in 1949. There he became known for his encaustic paintings, which used pigmented wax over collages and mixed media. His art recreated familiar objects like flags, numbers, letters and maps of the United States with such aplomb that the Metropolitan Museum of Art ranked him among art greats Pollock, Goya and Picasso.

In 1988 his painting “False Start” brought $17 million at auction. It was later resold for $80 million.

Always enigmatic about his artistic process, Johns once said, “Sometimes I see it and then paint it. Other times I paint it and then see it. Both are impure situations, and I prefer neither.”

About this series: The inaugural edition of The State newspaper was published Feb. 18, 1891. In anticipation of the 125th anniversary, the Palmetto section and this section at thestate.com are recounting each day how The State covered newsmakers and events vital to South Carolina’s history.

This story was originally published February 16, 2016 at 5:11 PM with the headline "Jasper Johns: A famous artist with SC ties."