We asked artists and designers to reimagine this national symbol.
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 | By Ezekiel Kweku Politics Editor, Opinion |
I'm more than a little bit obsessed with the American flag. I collect images of the flag, and I once maintained a blog dedicated solely to its representation in art. |
Why exactly I find the flag endlessly fascinating is a mystery even to me, but I suspect that I'm attracted to it for the same reason I'm attracted to politics. American politics is ultimately about competing visions of the country, and the machinations by which its people attempt to make those visions reality. |
The flag is our most iconic national symbol: Our Pledge of Allegiance is addressed to it, and our national anthem takes it as its subject. Yet it's more than an emblem of America's government or its military. |
It is a symbol of America as it was and is — its history, noble and sordid; its traditions and reputation. But it can also be a symbol of the America that could be. Laying claim to the flag is a way of laying claim to America. Like the country itself, it is "malleable and contestable."
When we conceived of the idea for "Snap Out of It, America!" — a series about bold ideas to revitalize the country — I knew it would be incomplete without a reconsideration of the flag. Frank Augugliaro, the art director responsible for the visual look of the series, reached out to a number of different artists and designers to get their takes on a reimagined flag. The results are thought-provoking and surprising. Some attempts, like Andrew Kuo's rendition, are functional and aspirational redesigns. Others, like Hank Willis Thomas's collage, are artistic provocations. Read more and see all of the designs here.
This is the final installment of the "Snap Out of It, America!" series. We hope you found something in it to spark your own political imagination. You can find all of the pieces in the series here. |
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