0-9
Jasper Johns
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Jasper Johns
Jasper Johns

0-9, A Set of 10 Numerals

8 3/8 x 6 inches each
Jasper Johns

0-9, A Set of 10 Numerals
(ULAE 156-165)

1975
set of ten etchings on Barcham Green paper
paper: 8 3/8 x 6 inches each
image: 2 1/2 x 2 1/8 inches
edition of 100 with 20 AP's & 2 PP's
each with Jasper Johns watermark signature.
printed by Atelier Crommelynck
published by Petersburg Press, 1975

Literature
Richard Field, The Prints of Jasper Johns 1960-1993: A Catalogue Raisonne, ULAE, New York, 1994, Catalogue Reference ULAE 156-165, n.p. Each Jasper Johns 0-9 etching is reproduced
Roberta Bernstein, Carter E. Foster, Jasper Johns Numbers, Cleveland Museum of Art, 2003, pg. 81, another impression of each reproduced in color.
Riva Castleman, Jasper Johns: A Print Retrospective, The Museum of Modern Art, New York, 1990, p. 141.

Museum Collections
The Walker Art Center, Minneapolis
The Whitney Museum of Art, New York
The National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C.
The National Gallery of Art, Australia

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Additional Photos

The Jasper Johns 0-9 Set of Ten Numeral etchings is exceptionally fresh and bright and in overall excellent condition. Each of the Ten Jasper Johns Numeral etchings, from "0" through "9", is printed on an individual sheet of Barcham Green Paper to stand alone.

JASPER JOHNS 0-9 SET OF TEN NUMERALS

The Jasper Johns 0-9 Set of Ten Numeral etchings is exceptionally fresh and bright and in overall excellent condition. Each of the Ten Jasper Johns Numeral etchings, from "0" through "9", is printed on an individual sheet of Barcham Green Paper to stand alone.

The full impact of the "0" through "9" progression of Numerals is best when the Set of Ten Numerals Etchings is displayed either in two rows of five figures - "0 through 4" and "5 through 9", or a single row of ten etchings, beginning with "0" and ending with "9". Jasper Johns, Gray Numbers, 1959-61

Jasper Johns, Gray Numbers, 1959-61

From Is the Painting Counting? by Morgan Meis:
Jasper Johns had achieved that rarest of artistic feats: the genuine breakthrough with his Flag and Target paintings. As he experimented throughout the late 1950's and early 1960's, he opened up new areas in which paintings could be both things-in-the-world and paintings of those things. Within this context, it was a natural and understandable "next move" for Johns to create images of numbers and letters. These, too, are things "the mind already knows".

Ask yourself these questions: if I paint the number 2 on a canvas, have I brought that number into existence? Is the painting now a 2? Or is it a painting of a 2? And what is the diffrence between the painting and the number? When you get tired of these questions, here are some more. Do numbers have colors? Does it make a difference if the number 2 is bigger or smaller? If I paint a series of numbers on a canvas, say 0 to 9, is the painting counting? Is the viewer of the painting counting when he/she looks at the numbers? You can also perform some of these experiments with individual letters or with the whole alphabet. Johns did that.

Along with "things the mind already knows", Johns experimented with "things a painting can do". In a notebook from 1963-64, he jotted down for himself the following instructions:

Take an object
Do something to it
Do something else to it

This notebook jotting has become a kind of oracular document for those seeking to understand John's art and process. It captures perfectly the laconic mood in which he thinks and works. Though the notebook entry is from 1963-64, this had been John's approach to art-making from the beginning.

Johns chose a typeface that had deliberately little context in itself, indeed this was precisely "what I like about them," he has said, "that they come that way" (Johns, quoted in R. Francis, p. 29). The numbers were a form of readymade writing. In 0-9, however, this is not the case: Johns has instilled his own sense of the ideal number form into the work. As in his paintings of the Flags, Johns has painstakingly created a distant and impersonal picture, rendering his own idea of the ideal, unspecific numeral. The distant, or universal, nature of the subject matter appears to jar with the incredibly detailed manipulation of the etching plate, which has a great presence on the paper, a feeling of true substance. However, it is precisely this combination of the artist's palpable efforts in creating the work and the arbitrary nature of the subject matter that highlights Johns' role, and success, in creating a universal image.

The condition of Jasper Johns prints plays a pivotal role in preserving the integrity and value of these artworks. The presence of mat staining, fox marks, and attenuated colors can significantly impact the overall aesthetic and historical integrity of these artworks. When considering a purchase, it is crucial to be wary of dealers who claim prints are in good condition despite such issues, as this may be a deliberate attempt to mislead buyers. Genuine transparency is crucial in the art market, and dealers who purposefully downplay or omit details about these conditions are not acting in the best interest of the collector. It is also advisable to avoid dealers who artificially enhance colors in photos. Authenticity and transparency are essential in the art market, and artificially enhanced images can mislead potential buyers, distorting the true condition of the artwork. Choosing dealers who provide accurate representations, even if it reveals imperfections, ensures that buyers make well-informed decisions, maintaining the authenticity and value of Jasper Johns prints over time.

 

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