#FlagArt: 20 Artists Take on the Old Stars & Stripes

Keith Haring

Some people were up in arms last week about rainbow flags, but we are all under one red, white and blue banner, regardless of our beliefs. Artists have been riffing on the American flag to make protest statements, rally political ideologies and show their patriotism for most of the 20th century and into the 21st. According to Wikipedia;

The national flag of the United States of America, often referred to as the American flag, consists of thirteen equal horizontal stripes of red (top and bottom) alternating with white, with a blue rectangle in the canton (referred to specifically as the “union”) bearing fifty small, white, five-pointed stars arranged in nine offset horizontal rows of six stars (top and bottom) alternating with rows of five stars. The 50 stars on the flag represent the 50 states of the United States of America, and the 13 stripes represent the thirteen British colonies that declared independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain, and became the first states in the Union. Nicknames for the flag include the Stars and Stripes, Old Glory, and the Star-Spangled Banner. The design of the flag has been modified 26 times officially since 1777. The 48-star flag was in effect for 47 years until the 49-star version became official on July 4, 1959. The 50-star flag was ordered by President Eisenhower on August 21, 1959 and was adopted in July 1960. It is the longest-used version of the U.S. flag and has been in use for over 55 years.

So, here’s my little Fourth of July online exhibit by some of my favorite artists. It’s a wide range, so like America, there’s something for everyone. Happy Fourth!