Exploring the American Flag Through Art: A Contemporary Reinterpretation
Author: Distil Ennui | Post Date: 18-01-2025On the eve of Donald Trump’s second inauguration as President of the United States on January 20, 2025, I am proud to present a series of 21 unique photographic works that engage with the symbolism of the American flag. This project continues a dialogue with the flag’s rich art historical legacy, examining its capacity to embody identity, resilience, and transformation through art.
The series is based on an original sculpture of the American flag, meticulously constructed from thousands of live flower petals and photographed underwater using a rare large-format analogue technique on 8 by 10 inch positive film plates. Nine of the works are further enhanced with an ageing process of hand-painting oil details and finished with a delicate craquelure varnish, blending sculptural, photographic, and painterly traditions. The result is a series that straddles the boundaries between permanence and fragility, reflecting the complex historical and emotional weight of the Stars and Stripes.
'Plate 0180' from the American Flag Series
Artists throughout history have consistently reimagined the American flag, positioning it as a site of both celebration and critique. Jasper Johns’s seminal Flag (1954–55) marked a turning point in the mid-20th century, transforming the flag into a subject for introspection and questioning. Faith Ringgold’s Flag for the Moon: Die Nigger (1967) starkly juxtaposed the ideals of freedom with the realities of systemic oppression, infusing the flag with a call for accountability and justice. Shepard Fairey’s contemporary explorations, such as American Civics, have reframed the flag as a rallying cry for unity and social change.
My work adds to this lineage, approaching the flag not as a fixed emblem, but as a living and evolving symbol. The choice of flower petals, fleeting and ephemeral then immersed underwater, captures the tension between fragility and strength.
This series debuted at the 2017 exhibition Death of the Dream in London, where it explored themes of national identity and existential reflection. Now, it is being released with a renewed sense of optimism and hope for the future, transcending partisan divides. To mark this historic occasion, I am offering a special inauguration discount of €300, applied at checkout for the 21 days following the presidential oath on Monday, January 20, 2025. This timeframe aligns with the ceremonial 21-gun salute—a tribute fired immediately after the oath by the Presidential Guns Salute Battery, 3rd United States Infantry Regiment "The Old Guard." This connection underscores the gravity of the moment and the enduring significance of the flag as a national symbol.
For those interested, 12 works are offered as an unmounted unique giclee print at 23.39 x 16.54 inches (59.4 x 42 cm) finished in a museum AR & UV varnish, with 9 darkroom printed works overpainted and aged in oils, mounted to a 2mm aluminum panel with a float-mounted wall hanger, all are signed, dated, and annotated verso. The 9 darkroom prints are of exceptional quality, mounted to aluminum panels and framed in artist-made Shou Sugi Ban cedar wood, invite viewers to engage with the ongoing interplay between impermanence and resilience that defines both art and the American identity.
To view the series and explore its historical context, please visit DistilEnnuiStudio.com.
'Plate 0109' original darkroom print overpainted in oil in a craquelure varnish