The artwork “Cup 2 Picasso” by Jasper Johns, created in 1973, represents the Pop Art movement and is of the figurative genre. Within the domain of Pop Art, Johns’ work stands out for its engagement with perceptual themes and the exploration of how viewers make sense of visual information.
The artwork presents a striking simplicity in its use of black and white to create a dual silhouette that borders on optical illusion. In the negative space between the two profiles, one can discern a form resembling a goblet or cup. This duality is a frequent motif in visual perception studies and invokes the intriguing interplay between figure and ground. The employment of silhouettes in contrasting colors results in a visual tension, guiding the viewer’s attention to the interstitial shape that emerges at the center of the composition. The artwork’s clean lines and minimalist color usage are characteristic of Johns’ style, whereby he often incorporates common symbols and objects to challenge the conventional boundaries of representation.