State of the union

“STATE OF THE UNION” removes the veneer from The Stars and Stripes and explores it as both a symbol of division and unity.

The paintings of twisted and tangled flags reflect the country’s divisions — echo chambers, school shootings, terrorism, pride and the feeling it could boil over at any minute. These paintings don’t provide answers. But they face the discomfort, fear, and urgency many Americans feel as the lines between patriotism, protest, and ideology continue to blur.

In contrast, the photography looks at the unifying thread of the American tapestry — capturing the flag in quiet places and sweeping vistas, spanning distance and cultures. On Native American land in Utah, hanging from buildings in Brooklyn, dangling from boats in Miami, or fluttering on the backs of trucks in rural towns across the United States. This collection of work reveals how the Stars and the Stripes still carries a complicated hope, a reminder of Americans’ desire to belong, to be seen, and to connect to something greater than ourselves.

Taken together, it contrasts the concept of rugged individualism against a reality of unity. The work invites viewers to sit with the contradictions of American identity — fractured but not broken.