How does Map (painting) elucidate its Description?
The painting measures 198.2 centimetres (78.0 in) by 314.7 centimetres (123.9 in). Johns was inspired by a gift from Robert Rauschenberg of some mimeographed outline maps of US states, of the sort that can be colored in by schoolchildren. Johns was attracted to an image that is ubiquitous but "seen and not looked at, not examined", effectively a found object. He copied the outlines to a large canvas, to which he added bright splashes of red, yellow, and blue, sometimes mixed, with accents of black and white. His rough brushwork resembles an Abstract Expressionist style or the late works of Cézanne. Although the outlines of the states are recognizable, the colors do not always respect state borders, perhaps suggesting the blurring of boundaries and homogenization of post-war American society, reinforced by the mass-produced effect of the stencilled names. It has been suggested that the painting may be a visual pun, as Johns "deliberately put American painting on the map" in the 1950s.  Johns considered that he was painting a map, not making a painting of a map.
canvas stencil Robert Rauschenberg Cézanne mimeograph US states Abstract Expressionist found object