Flag, defined by Merriam Webster as a rectangular piece of fabric of a distinctive design that is used as a symbol (as of a nation), as a signaling device, or as a decoration. Having the definition in mind, let us take a look at the commonly known flag that is represented by the red, white and blue color design, the American flag. The familiar iconic color trio and recognizable emblem are the highly distinguishable aspects of the flag that anyone in the US can recognize. However, with respect to the flag, what happens when we alter its identity through a powerful expression known as art? In other words, what happens when we move a couple stars and stripes around, or possibly even add more color. By doing so, will this allow us to change the …show more content…
John’s stylistic approach, however, was different as he was one of the few artists to follow up the unique movement of art known as abstract expressionism. One of his main projects widely known from the abstract community is his series of painting of flags. These paintings originated after Jasper recalls on how he woke up from having a dream which involved him painting the American flag. Following that event, Jasper quickly gathered materials to bring this idea/dream to life and start a new project. By creating his own version of the American flag, he was able to transform what all Americans know as the flag into a “new, but familiar …show more content…
To clarify, one notable scholar that supports this idea about Johns is Philip Fisher. In his journal article “Jasper Johns: Strategies for Making and Effacing Art”, Fisher states “As far as the image is concerned his paintings are, we could say, stealing a ride on an already settled visual” (pg.319). In addition to this, another article to mention is written by Joan Carpenter, in which she writes about Jasper’s perspective of the changes done to the flag, “ I'm believing painting to be a language, or wishing language to be any sort of recognition. If one takes delight in that kind of changing process, one moves toward new recognition, names, images.” (Carpenter 8). As a result, what is being said by both scholars are that John's paintings are a familiar sight, however, we’re now viewing the flag with some slight changes that allow us to see it as a completely new thing. Taking the historical and political meaning of the flag and replacing it with a new perspective done by art. Furthermore, an idea of Claire Farago that I came across that’s almost identical yet relatable to Johns is mentioned in Mary D. Sheriff’s book, Cultural Contact and the Making of European Art Since the Age of Exploration, “ … two objects look very different in terms of style, imagery, function, materials, and so on, they elicit similar,
present in both paintings. El Greco presented both St. John and St. Francis with a very
In Johnny Cash’s song, The Ragged Old Flag it says, “In her own good land here she’s been abused. She’s been burned, dishonored, denied and refused.” To me this means that people have stopped honoring all that it stands for. The flag stands for all of the battles and sacrifices the United States has had to make to get it to where it is today. People
For more than 200 years, the American flag has been a big part of the United States. Betsy Ross had been the first, reportedly, to make the American flag. It originally had thirteen stars, representing the first thirteen colonies, but later it ended up with fifty to represent the states in the Union. It is a symbol of our
Joseph Mallord William Turner, 1775-1851, born the son of a London Barber and Wigmaker, is considered one of the greatest European artists of the 19th century. Turner, the English romantic landscape painter, watercolourists and printmaker, was regarded as a controversial and revolutionary figure by his contemporaries despite his training being similar to other artists of the time. His work ‘Walton Bridge’, Oil on Canvas 1806-10, reflects much of his training as a young artists as well as his well-known Romantic style. In this essay I will follow the beginnings of Turners artistic life, showing how his influences, training and opinions surrounding landscape painting have influenced his work ‘Walton Bridge.’ I will further explore how art critics, fellow artists and the wider public of the 19th Century received ‘Walton Bridge’ and his Landscape paintings in general.
The colors red, white and blue did not have any real significance in America until their rights for freedom and territory were challenged. "The American flag played no significant role in American life until the Civil War, during the fight at Fort Sumter" (Goldstein 1). Then, to all northerners it became a symbol of pride and an object of "public adoration" (1). The flag was held in such high esteem that the Flag Protection Movement was created in 1890 so that there would be no commercialism of the object(2). The FPM felt as though politicians and merchants were "prostituting" the flag so, in 1900 they joined with the American Flag Association and made a set...
To the Majority Opinion it’s a flag of our nation but to the Dissenting opinion its means more than just a flag. It means “White signifies purity and innocence, Red, hardiness & velour, and Blue, the color of the Chief (the broad band above the stripes) signifies vigilance, perseverance & justice." In this case the Dissenting opinion gave reasons why flag burning should be banned. Eventually Congress passed the Flag Protection Act of 1989. The Act banned flag burning regardless of whether the person burning the flag intended to cause offense to
All citizens should be able to look upon their flag with pride and glory. They should feel as though it unites them as a nation. Without a doubt, the current flag of Australia does nothing of the sort. It has become an anachronic symbol of the nation which poorly represents our society through the total disregard for the Indigenous Australians and their heritage. Not only does it suggest that we are a part of a colonial relationship, but it is constantly confused and associated with other countries with similar flag designs. A new flag will reinforce our national identity with a strong and inspiring design that is easily recognisable and unique to our country and its people.
In order to help answer this question, let’s begin by defining what a flag is. The proponents (veterans, Citizens Flag Alliance, and other organizations of this type) of the amendment for protection of the flag define the flag as a “cultural artifact with meaning, significance, and usage determined by the particular system employing it (Guenter 18).” Some flag historians have recognized the impact of culture on the shifting significance and usage of the national banner, although no one has ventured a full-scale probe of the subject (Guenter 16). The flag in the beginning was a symbol of freedom and enlightenment. The flag design has changed.
Another view of the American flag is the colors red, white, and blue. Some Americans see the color red as blood for all the blood shed on the battlegrounds. Another color white for victory or triumph in our great nation of America. Lastly, the color blue for the sadness or sorrow felt because of the lives lost in war.
Have you ever believed that Betsy Ross designed the first flag of the United States? Well, that old childhood tale is false and a congressman names Francis Hopkinson created the first flag. The flag is an emblem of the U.S and shall never be disrespected. The flag, for some people, can just mean a piece of fabric, but for others the flag symbolizes much much more.
The Confederate flag was used symbolically during the Civil War. For Southerner’s, the flag represented a source of southern pride as well as a way of remembering the fallen Confederates. As the Civil War proceeded, the meaning of the flag began to change. Currently, the flag is being used as a symbol of racism. Due to this change in meaning, controversy over the flag has been exponentially growing.
Have you ever heard the saying, "Don't judge a book by it's cover"? There are many things that look very unpleasing on the outside but actually have a meaning bigger than just our lives. Something that has a special meaning to me is the American Flag. Imagine a dirty, old flag that is still standing after a war that many soldiers have lost their life for. Thinking about that gives the flag a bigger meaning than just old cloth. The flag stands for all of Americans loyalty to their country. It also represents the hardships our country has overcome over many decades. The American Flag stands for everybody that has fought and died for our country. One of the biggest things the flag stands for is the loyalty of our people.
The dissenting opinion to the previous idea is that the government's legitimate interest in preserving the symbolic value of the flag is, however, essentially the same that may have motivated a particular act of flag burning. The flag uniquely symbolizes the ideas of liberty, equality, and tolerance -- ideas that Americans have passionately defended and debated throughout our history. The flag embodies the spirit of our national commitment to those ideals. To the world, the flag is our promise that we will continue to strive for these ideals. To us, the flag is a reminder both that the struggle for li...
He studied at the Cleveland School of art when his parents moved to Cleveland, Ohio. Hartley was heavily influenced by the writings of Walt Whitman and American transcendentalist Ralph Waldo Emerson. Because of this influence, Hartley viewed art as a spiritual quest. He was known as a modern painter and this is seen through his paintings. Hartley’s background definitely influenced his paintings because it has a modern touch to most of his work. Through his painting, Abstract, he tries to convey a sense of monumentality and permanence. This is intensified by his use of vibrating colors. Hartley in his painting Abstract, has unbalance in his painting which make it seem chaotic similar to Moran’s painting because it shows a chaotic storm but also manages to be balanced. Hartley also has a lot of contrasting colors such as vibrant reds, white, orange, yellow etc. Moran has little contrast in his painting because he mainly uses neutral colors. Both paintings are inspired by real objects, Moran’s is inspired by a storm at sea and Hartley’s is inspired by mountains. Another thing in common about both paintings is that both artists used oil, but Moran used oil on canvas and Hartley used oil on
Now, the flag of the United States has 50 stars and the 50 stars represent the 50 states of the us. The red on the flag stands for courage, white stands for purity, and the Blue stands for justice, vigilance,and perseverance. Lastly, the flag is over 200 years old.