#21_in Pink, Pink and Blue Painting

This painting is one of a series of 50 American flags. The flag is perhaps the most recognized symbol in the world. Love it or hate it, it is everywhere. And everyone has an opinion. Some burn with patriotism, others burn the flag. Some see decoration for a t-shirt, others high art. Everyone has an opinion and can't leave it alone. These works explore ideas beyond red, white and blue by asking the viewer to consider meanings conveyed through arbitrary color, new style and paint strokes applied to this universal symbol. Each work is hand painted, closely or not, repeating a similar image. This repetitive haptic process is an honored tradition. Historically, it was applied to crafts and trades where high quality objects were sought for their universality yet individual uniqueness. However, my paintings are more than imitation of a commercial process, but rather a deeper study of a controversial image. For each painting the viewer is asked to form their own meaning. Stylistically, these paintings are inspired by the cartoon realism of Philip Guston and pop art images. However, the American flag is uniquely its' own. Designed on the American frontier, it has been routinely criticized for not adhering to universally accepted theories of modern design and proportion. As a artist, I often work in series and am in the process of producing 50 paintings of the American flag with little change to the straight forward image you see here. Why 50? It is not because of 50 states. But rather 50 seemed like a good number to push my ideas and it has caused me to work harder and think deeper than a one-off or a handful of paintings. Paintings are approximately the same size, 42" x 63". They are designed to hang without the benefit of frame or hanging hardware. Much like a fabric flag, these works on canvas also hang free and the undulating nature is part of the work. I generally attached them to the wall by pinning them with four or five clear push pins across the top. One could also use clips. However there is a 3" to 4" border so one could stretch and frame the works if desired.