[jmkd]

I first and best understood Jasper Johns in particular 'Flag' (1954 onwards) through viewing a documentary as a teenager.

The narrator described 'Flag' as many things: a flag, a painting, a sculptural object, a commentary and a concept.

These were and remain all true and equally valid.

The historical context of mid-50s America is helpful but not essential. Of more relevance is the disruptive innovation of creating a work both of and outside the system, that ends up influencing the system in return.

It's like a self-aware mutation with genetic and memetic qualities.