“The Ears of Jasper Johns” is an installation artwork created by Michelangelo Pistoletto in 1966, belonging to the Conceptual Art movement. The artwork falls within the genre of installation, providing a notable example of Pistoletto’s engagement with ideas and perception over traditional aesthetics.
The artwork features two vertical panels, each depicting a partial black-and-white image of a person’s head. These panels are positioned in such a manner that only the ears and portions of the head are visible, while the central part of the face is conspicuously omitted. The deliberate fragmentation draws attention to the act of viewing and the fragmented nature of perception. The choice of Jasper Johns as a subject may suggest layers of meaning and homage within the realm of modern and conceptual art. The composition and the strategic use of negative space provoke thought about identity, recognition, and the observer’s role in interpreting incomplete information.
