Decoy highlights Johns's persistent theme of memory, presenting an amalgam of his former imagery—the ale can in the center, the frieze of his sculptures along the bottom, and color words and body fragments from an earlier print. Johns juxtaposes hand–drawn passages with photographic depictions, a feature made significantly simpler by his use here, for the first time, of ULAE's offset press.
Gallery label from Artistic Collaborations: 50 Years at Universal Limited Art Editions, January 17–May 21, 2007.
Decoy contains imagery from several earlier works, including elements from Passage I. Here, for the first time, Johns had access to an offset printing press, which facilitates the use of multiple plates, photographic transfers, and layering. After finishing Decoy, he used the leftover, rejected prints to create Decoy II.
Gallery label from Focus: Jasper Johns, December 6, 2008–February 16, 2009.
