Old Glory, 2017

Submitted for LensCulture is a small selection from an extensive body of work developed during my semester exchange to the Rhode Island School of Design in Providence early this year. The ubiquity of the American flag was the first thing that struck me when I landed in the US. Given the country's history and current political tensions, I was fascinated by its overt display everywhere and sought to understand the passive public engagements with them. Ideas of a patriotic subconscious also developed along with studying Michael Biling's "Banal Nationalism" (1995) as I became interested in the seemingly general acceptance of the flag as a symbol of national identity. Ultimately, I attempted to explore the ways in which this object is used and referenced in every possible context, and the ways in which it often intruded different spaces to highlight interesting juxtapositions that regularly occur.