0-9, A Set of 10 Numerals
8 3/8 x 6 inches each0-9, A Set of 10 Numerals
(ULAE 156-165), 1975
paper: 8 3/8 x 6 inches each
image: 2 1/2 x 2 1/8 inches
edition of 100 with 20 AP’s numbered in Roman Numerals & 2 PP’s
each signed and dated in pencil "J Johns '75" lower right recto
aach numbered in pencil in center recto
each with Jasper Johns watermark signature
printed by Atelier Crommelynck
published by Petersburg Press, 1975
© 2024 Jasper Johns / Licensed by VAGA at Artists Rights Society (ARS), NY
Literature
Richard Field, Jasper Johns Prints 1970-1977, Wesleyan University, Middletown, 1978, Catalogue Reference 207, p. 103, another impression reproduced in black and white
Shigeo Chiba, Jasper Johns Prints Exhibition 1960–1989, Tokyo, 1990, Japan Art and Culture Association/Kokusai Geijutsu Bunka Shinkokai, n.p., plate 14-21, another impression reproduced.
Richard Field, The Prints of Jasper Johns 1960-1993: A Catalogue Raisonne, ULAE, New York, 1994, Catalogue Reference ULAE 156-165, n.p. another impression of each reproduced in black & white and Figure 0 and Figure 4, each reproduced in full page black & white.br>
Susan Lorence, Technique and Collaboration in the Prints of Jasper Johns, Castelli Gallery, New York, 1996, Catalogue Reference 20a-20j, n.p., another impression reproduced in black and white.
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, another impression of each reproduced in color.
Exhibited
The Seibu Museum of Art, Tokyo, Prints Exhibition 1960–1989, Traveled to The Seibu Department Store, Isetan Museum of Art, Tokyo, April 26th—May 15th, 1990, Isetan Department Store, Niigata, June 7-19, 1990, Isetan Department Store, Urawa, July 18-24, 1990, Isetan Department Store, Matsudo, August 9—August 14, 1990, Isetan Department Store, Shizuoka, August 23—August 28, 1990, another impression exhibited.
The Museum of Modern Art, New York, Jasper Johns: A Print Retrospective, May 19–Aug 19, 1986, another impression exhibited.
Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, Jasper Johns Numbers, 2003, October 26, 2003-January 11, 2004, another impression exhibited.
Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Los Angeles, Jasper Johns Numbers, 2004, February 1-April 18, 2004, another impression exhibited.
Selected 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
The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland
Additional Photos
Detail of Signature & Date
Detail of Edition Number in pencil
Detail of Jasper Johns watermark on each
The Jasper Johns 0-9, Set of 10 Numerals (ULAE 156-165), 1975 etchings on Barcham Green paper is in pristine condition and each Jasper Johns 0-9 etching is unframed; the set of ten 0-9 Numerals is particularly fresh and without the usual condition issues as this set has never been framed, hinged or matted since it was originally published five decades ago. Each of the ten Jasper Johns Numeral etchings, from “0” (ULAE 156), 1975 through “9” (ULAE 165), 1975, is not only printed on an individual sheet of Barcham Green paper but each 0-9 etching is also signed, dated and numbered by Jasper Johns in pencil to stand alone. However, the full impact of the "0" through "9" progression of Numerals is best when the Set of ten numeral etchings is displayed either in two rows of five - "0 through 4" and "5 through 9", or a single row of ten etchings, beginning with "0" and ending with “9”.
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 Jasper Johns 0-9, Set of 10 Numerals (ULAE 156-165), 1975 etchings on Barcham Green paper is in pristine condition and each Jasper Johns 0-9 etching is unframed; the set of ten 0-9 Numerals is particularly fresh and without the usual condition issues as this set has never been framed, hinged or matted since it was originally published five decades ago. Each of the ten Jasper Johns Numeral etchings, from “0” (ULAE 156), 1975 through “9” (ULAE 165), 1975, is not only printed on an individual sheet of Barcham Green paper but each 0-9 etching is also signed, dated and numbered by Jasper Johns in pencil to stand alone. However, the full impact of the "0" through "9" progression of Numerals is best when the Set of ten numeral etchings is displayed either in two rows of five - "0 through 4" and "5 through 9", or a single row of ten etchings, beginning with "0" and ending with “9”.
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 of a Jasper Johns print, 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. Transparency is imperative in the art market and dealers who purposefully omit condition details are not acting in the best interest of the collector. It is also advisable to avoid dealers who artificially enhance colors in photos, 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.
The set of ten 0-9 Numerals (ULAE 156-165), 1975 etchings on Barcham Green paper that is available from Joseph K. Levene Fine Art, Ltd. is truly exceptional as it looks as good today as it did fifty years ago when Jasper Johns originally signed, dated and numbered each of the ten prints. Like most set of numerals in museums, this set that is currently available is without question, museum quality for Jasper Johns print collectors who appreciate and understand the importance of collecting prints that are essentially as good as they get!
#JasperJohns 0-9 series (U.L.A.E. 156-165), 1978 the complete set of 10 etching and aquatints, sells for $80,640 @phillipsauction Editions Southampton 6/25/2022, triple the pre-sale estimate. https://t.co/B2qZucwKTt pic.twitter.com/3SHphPMLBX
— Jasper Johns Prints (@JohnsPrints) June 27, 2022
