With only 12 days until the opening of It’s All Back On, Jason Alper describes his motivation for the creation of the incendiary piece, My America.
“I ask myself the question. What does the American flag represent to me? The most iconic flag of all? Yes. Perfection in its design? Quite possibly. War? Absolutely.
I'm certainly not the first person to comment on America, through the imagery of a flag. Mark Twain's, 'Weapons of Satire', did the same thing at the beginning of the 20th century.
But this isn't an anti-American statement. Far from it. It's a shame that the flag, once perceived by the rest of the world, as a symbol of freedom, is now, the complete opposite. What was once, an image of positivity, success and iconography, as Jasper Johns so masterfully executed, is now, far more negative than it's ever been.
I've been fortunate enough to travel across America, countless times, always encountering patriotism of the highest order. This is the only country, where people make the effort to shroud their homes in huge flags. I've always liked this. It simply looks cool.
When I think of the American flag in 2010, sadly, it's too commonly seen in war situations. For this reason, I decided to build the piece with 19 US issue rifles, making the stripes and 50 hand grenades, for the stars. The rifles are positioned at different heights, giving the illusion of the flag blowing in the wind, just like the Moon landing in '69.
I named the piece, My America. On one hand, it sadly reflects the waste of lives and money, and how the people fighting each other are weirdly, the innocent parties, while the real guilty culprits are the Politicians who never get their hands dirty.
It makes me think how many guns and hand grenades have ruined so many lives, time after time. You would imagine someone would realize that, this may not be the best solution. I'd like to think that this piece has transformed something ugly, into something quite beautiful and positive.”
It's All Back On opens April 17, 2010, exclusively at Guy Hepner, in West Hollywood.
Guy Hepner
300 N Robertson Blvd
West Hollywood, CA 90048
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