Souvenir

Jasper Johns, artist

born 1930

Universal Limited Art Editions, publisher

founded 1957

Souvenir, 1970

Where object was made: United States

Material/technique: color lithograph

Dimensions:
Sheet/Paper Dimensions (Height x Width): 782 x 572 mm
Sheet/Paper Dimensions (Height x Width): 30 13/16 x 22 1/2 in
Frame Dimensions (Height x Width x Depth): 34 1/4 x 26 1/4 x 1 1/4 in
Weight (Weight): 10 lbs

Credit line: Museum purchase

Accession number: 1973.0104

Not on display

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Past Presence

Souvenir is French for “memory” or “to remember.” This work by Jasper Johns includes open-ended clues to the act of remembering: a souvenir plate with the artist’s self-portrait and the primary colors, a number, a flashlight with a mirror, and the back of a canvas. Some specialists in the study of memory and cognitive science have proposed that there are genetic factors to our sense of cultural memory. Johns’s art often involves intuitions about which aspects of memory are learned and which are not.

Exhibition Label:
"Conflicting Memories," Oct-2003, Steve Goddard
Souvenir ("memory" or "to remember" in French) includes open-ended clues to the act of remembering: a souvenir plate with the artist’s self-portrait and the primary colors, a number, a flashlight with a mirror, and the back of a canvas. Some specialists in the study of memory and cognitive science have recently proposed that there are genetic factors to our sense of cultural memory - our ability to form a sense of belonging to a group with specific cultural characteristics. Johns’ art often seems to involve intuitions about which aspects of memory are learned and which are not.