Jasper Johns: Between the Clock and the Bed
Jasper Johns: Between the Clock and the Bed
Gagosian
January 22–March 14, 2026
980 Madison Avenue, New York
Viewing Jasper Johns: Between the Clock and the Bed exhibition at Gagosian is a must see. It is quite mind bending to realize the more you look and try to decipher, the more complicated the Between the Clock and the Bed paintings become. If you are only viewing a single painting the viewer would simply see the abstract cross hatching, but seen together you start comparing each section like a puzzle.
To really understand the circular and spherical nature of the cross hatching, you have to see the paintings in person. Each panel pattern is used repeatedly, but can be flipped both vertically or horizontally as well as placement location. I can only imagine that starting with an original drawing on transparency, Jasper was able to match up all the edges on all 3 panels. Thus, using the original transparency it can be turned in any direction or inverted and still correspond with the following panel.
For instance, the grey painting is a reverse of the central painting in the exhibition without the "Usuyuki" addition. It’s like you are looking at the reverse side or back side of the original. The color painting without the "Usuyuki" has the panel layout in a different order, which is maddening when trying to decifer the differences in the 3 works. The strategic layers of red, yellow, blue and orange, purple, green are all carefully worked. Jasper starts with one color, knowing he would paint over with the opposite complementary color. This creates a very interesting juxtaposition of colors as the original first layer of color peaks through underneath.
Using the original Edward Munch painting Self-Portrait. Between the Clock and Bed. as inspiration, you can break down the color vibrancy and block areas to see how closely Jasper followed the original painting. On the left side the clock stands is a dark brown vertical, the middle section is light and open, the top right is in grey, and the bottom right is bright white.
The security guards are a bit aggressive with their protection of the works, which gives the viewing an unnecessary tension to the point that is noticeably uncomfortable. This speaks not necessarily only to the reverence for the works, but for the astronomical value and the fact that they are on loan from various museums.
Text by Jason Clay Lewis
Installation Shots
