20 Ways Artists Have Interpreted the American Flag

Image via Complex Original

The Center (Tree) is a mixed-media piece that uses acrylic paint and gold leaf on an American flag stretched over a wooden panel. The piece narrates a story of fear, power, and men, with the hidden tree as a symbol of strength and the centrality of life. It's a very wrought way for artist Andrew Shoultz to interact with the American flag as a medium.

Artist John Huggins created this dreamlike image of an American flag bellowing across a gritty, cloudy sky. Huggins' prints are unique in that he transfers the fluid dyes found in Polaroid photographs onto watercolor paper for further manipulation. The results are enchanting and totally original.

Longing is a mixed-media piece done by artist Ashleigh Sumner. The repeated image of the American flag, European propaganda posters, and layers of spray and acrylic paint evoke a noisy atmosphere of conflicting morals within an urban landscape. The selective use of colors speaks volumes to the symbolism of confusion and passion.

Eric Hajjar and Meredith Rose, the artists behind The Ultravelvet Collection, created this technicolor conglomeration titled Cash Chameleon. The layered, urban-inspired image of an American flag and hundred-dollar bill creates a commentary on pop culture and our perception of monetary value systems.

Lunar Module and Mission Control is a replica from Tom Sachs' 2007 exhibit "Space Program." Influenced by the Apollo program, Sachs recreated a life-sized Lunar Module with a fully stocked booze cabinet and toolkit. Even if it's not historically accurate, the image of the American flag is iconic in this piece.

Jasper Johns is a multi-media sculpture from Michael Leavitt's "Art Army" series, which depicts art world superstars like Warhol, Ai Weiwei, and Banksy. Jasper Johns, a contemporary artist known primarily for his work with the American flag, is standing in front of a bulls-eye target with an American flag as a shirt. The work is both an homage and attack on Johns' work.

Spots and Stripes is a lighthearted, post-pop interpretation of the American flag. Dutch artist Parra juxtaposes the classic red and white stripes with a polka dotted bikini instead of stars. It's a campy and playful painting. 

Robert Frank was a classic American photographer best known for his extremely influential book The Americans. Marilyn Dead is a black and white photograph taken on a beach in 1962. A woman reads the newspaper with headlines about Marilyn Monroe's death as the American flag spreads behind her chair and onto the sand. The vertical frame elongates the form of the material, and the textures of both the wrinkles and the shadowy sand create a beautiful composition.

This photograph by Andy Warhol was taken in 1981. The loose grape representation of the flag is both childlike and very artistic in its abstract nature.

Untitled (Questions) is a piece that speaks to the Barbara Kruger's preoccupation with ideas of power, feminism, and consumerism. Using red and blue blocking and white text, her piece creates an alternate image of the American flag. The questions she elicits, such as "Who laughs last?", are accusatory and profound in their simplicity. It has the feel of propaganda and forces its viewer to be critical.

Alec Monopoly is a LA-based street and graffiti artist known for his satirical use of the Monopoly Man, Jack Nicholson, and Twiggy. In his piece Running America, the Monopoly Man sprints across the American flag towards the viewer. The Monopoly Man represents corporate America as a generalized concept, making the commentary pretty obvious.

Andy Warhol decided to represent the flag on the moon, a very proud American moment. The print incorporates yellow, red, and blue into the fore- and middle-grounds. The scribbled nature of the red and yellow accents liven the cold, motionless nature of the moon's surface in classic Warholian style.

American pop artist Roy Lichtenstein focused mainly on the parody premise of the 1960s movement. But unlike his widely known comic-strip-inspired paintings, The Oval Office is a very straightforward and somewhat patriotic piece. The print was commissioned as part of the "Artists for Freedom of Expression" project in 1992. In 2012, the National Gallery of Art in Washington installed the screen-print as a gift from Roy and Dorothy Lichtenstein.

You may recognize Gavin Bond's photography from our October/November 2013 issue with Iggy Azalea. Bond is heavy in the advertising industry, creating posters for movies like Kick-Ass 2 and catalogue shots for Sears and Spurr. Jay Z- Super Power features Shawn Carter posing in front of a projected American flag. The saturated reds and blues of the photograph contrast with Jay's natural charm and flesh tones. The Super Power himself has become an American icon.

Doug Van de Zande was a finalist in the Smithsonian's 10th Annual Photo Contest: Americana in 2013. His photograph shows the image of an American flag on a lit-up billboard distorted along the surface of three parked cars. Van de Zande's flag is synthetic, warped, but stunning nonetheless.

Street artist Shepard Fairey is known for his work with Obey and the Barack Obama Hope poster of the 2008 Presidential Election. May Day Flag features his signature Obey Giant face among the inverted colors of the stars and stripes. The quality of the print allows for an edgy, textured drip, and each star holds a different image.

Champagne Formica Flag is an original Banksy print named for its rare edition printed on champagne and silver metal sheet. The image depicts six figures crawling on top of an old car and holding an American flag, referencing the iconic WWII photograph Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima. Banksy's interpretation of the image is loaded with symbolism and political commentary instead of heroism.

Jen DeNike's video Flag Girls features six women wrapped in hand-sewn flags. As the video loop plays, the women unwrap themselves to reveal their nude bodies. DeNike is known for her diverse output and play with nudity. The meaning of the American flag, here depicted as the original 13 colonies version, is more cryptic than we think. See the whole video here.

This work was a poster for the New York City Ballet in 1988. Keith Haring's signature yellow figures strike ballet poses and interact with the flag, getting in between the stars and balancing on the stripes. The work dares to be disrespectful through a conservative lens, but it is ultimately whimsical and amusing.

Artist David Datuna is best known for his "Viewpoints of Millions" series. Using fractured glass surfaces, Datuna explores huge concepts like identity through perception in both the figurative and literal way. For Due Date, he gathered used eyeglass lenses and arranged them over the painting of a flag. Datuna describes this sculpture as the "pregnant flag" that symbolizes political expectations and the mysterious "delivery" of the 2012 Presidential Election.