Art Assemblage

Jasper Johns Three Flags, 1958 Encaustic on canvas; 30 7/8 x 45 x 5 in. 50th Anniversary Gift of the Gilman Foundation, Inc., The Lauder Foundation, A. Alfred Taubman, an anonymous donor and purchase 80.32 Whitney Museum of American Art, New York Art © Jasper Johns/ Licensed by VAGA, New York, NY

In 1961, the Museum of Modern Art in New York held a major exhibition titled "Art Assemblage" (a precursor to Pop Art). William C. Seitz wrote in the preface of the exhibition catalog: "The current trend of Art Assemblage (...) marks a shift from subjective, fluid abstract art to a collaborative art re-calibrated with its environment. This technique of juxtaposing objects is a fitting method for addressing the loss of charm in the simplistic international vocabulary of abstract art, as well as the perception of social values reflected by this situation."

However, there is another reason why Art Assemblage is important: it not only provided a means to transition Abstract Expressionism into Pop Art, which operates on entirely different premises, but also prompted artists to fundamentally rethink the forms available to visual art. For instance, Art Assemblage served as a starting point for two concepts that have become increasingly significant to artists: Environmental Art and Happenings.