Requiem Installation

Rush to Relics Series are deconstructions and manipulation of the American flag with the intention to transform them into something physically and emotionally separated from their beginnings. The flags are first deconstructed, aged, torn apart and some are installations or sculpture pieces and others are reconstructed in collage form, photographed, printed on rice paper laminated to canvas, where I may finish off with a pen, paint, graphite and liquid polymer. This work provides a path to process my disbelief at the accelerating, heartbreaking madness following the U.S. 2016 election. The artwork is a piece featuring three American flags that hang vertically. Each flag is heavily tattered, with the fabric torn and frayed extensively. The stars and stripes are still discernible, but the deterioration is substantial, lending a sense of aged wear and possibly symbolic distress. The flags' colors are faded, with the red and white stripes and the blue field with stars exhibiting signs of significant degradation. The arrangement and state of the flags evoke themes of decay, resilience, or contemplation on history and patriotism. The focus of the artwork is solely on the flags, with no background elements detracting from their presence.