Jasper Johns in RA: "Something Resembling Truth"

"All you have to know is whether you're lying or whether you're trying to tell the truth"- John Berger, Here Is Where We Meet.

I've been reading this book of semi-fiction (but actually fiction, inspired by events in Berger's life) by Berger, only realizing that he is a famous art critic after I've purchased and read the book. Anyway, this quote reminds me of the exhibition because truth is something if we choose to resemble or not. Artwork can aim to be realistic stylistically, or it can portray or reflect events or situations in real life. But artworks can also aim to be portrayed subjectively, and can represent imagination and stories. So not being truth to reality isn't a failure if it wasn't intended to be.

And through his work Johns has re-appropriated symbols from real world, portraying them in a different light, in particularly American patriotism and nationalism.

Some notes I've taken during the exhibition, in my development folder.