Jasper Johns is one of the most important artists of the 20th century. 66 years after he arrived in New York, the 86 year old painter is still at the centre of America's contemporary art scene. He was Robert Rauschenberg's lover, whose work burst out of the Abstract Expressionism of Rothko and Pollock, settling somewhere between Dadaism and Pop Art. This autumn, London is treated to a major Jasper Johns exhibition - a real rarity outside of the States.

Johns is perhaps best know for his 'flag' and 'target' paintings. These works broke from the Abstract Expressionist style of non-objective painting, with his representations of recognisable everyday objects. Instead of abstraction, Johns dealt in codes and iconography, appropriating symbols and turning them on their head. 'I tend to like things that already exist,' the artist has said. 'Take an object. Do something to it. Do something else to it.'

His lurid early paintings will be on show at the exhibition. But there is so much more to Johns than his flags. Wandering round the galleries, exploring his paintings, sculptures, prints, collages and drawings, you'll discover his lyricism, his depth and his steady maturation into American master.