Jasper Johns' art in the 1970s marks a significant period in his career, showcasing a profound shift in his approach to creation and the exploration of motifs that would come to define this era of his work. Johns, who had already established himself as a pivotal figure in American art by the 1950s and 1960s, ventured into new territories of abstraction and motif exploration during the 1970s, leaving a lasting impact on the art world. In the early 1970s, Johns began to develop a motif that would become central to his work throughout the decade: the crosshatch. This motif emerged serendipitously when Johns glimpsed a pattern on a passing car and was instantly captivated by its potential for abstraction, repetition, and, intriguingly, its inherent meaninglessness. The crosshatch pattern, characterized by interlocking lines, allowed Johns to delve into themes of literalness, repetitiveness, order, and the obsessive quality of mark-making. This period of Johns' career is marked by his innovative use of this motif in a variety of compositions that explored the balance between order and chaos, often employing the crosshatch in complex systems of mirroring and reversal​ (Sothebys.com)​. The crosshatched works of Jasper Johns during the 1970s stand out for their experimental nature, as he engaged in explorations of medium, color, composition, and size. His paintings from this period often incorporated elements such as collaged newspaper scraps, which added a textured, impasto-like quality to the surfaces of his works. These elements not only contributed to the visual depth of his paintings but also invited viewers to reconsider the nature of composition and the role of text and abstraction in art. Johns' interest in printmaking also intersected with his exploration of crosshatching, allowing him to further experiment with this motif across different media. Printmaking, with its capacity for repetition and variation, offered Johns new ways to refine and expand upon the crosshatch theme, illustrating the artist's deep engagement with showing the same idea through different forms​ (Sothebys.com)​. Beyond the formal exploration of patterns and abstraction, the 1970s also saw Johns engaging in more personal and introspective themes. He started to integrate autobiographical elements into his work, marking a departure from his earlier focus on impersonal symbols like flags and numbers. This shift towards a more personal mode of expression was seen by some as a betrayal of the detached, objective stance that had characterized his earlier work. Nevertheless, this period underscored Johns' ability to evolve and challenge his own artistic boundaries, navigating the delicate balance between personal experience and universal themes​ (Jasper Johns Org)​. Jasper Johns' work in the 1970s, therefore, represents a pivotal moment in the artist's career, characterized by a profound exploration of abstract motifs, a deepening of thematic complexity, and a willingness to engage with the personal and introspective aspects of art-making. Through his crosshatched works and beyond, Johns continued to influence the trajectory of American art, solidifying his position as one of the most significant and influential artists of the twentieth century.