American Dream Series

One of the unique characteristics of the American landscape is the ubiquity of the American flag displayed throughout U.S. cities, suburban neighborhoods, and rural communities. My goal is to travel to all 50 states and paint houses only where the American flag is displayed. The paintings present a diversity of architectural styles and “curated” spaces that define a “democratic” landscape where people from varied backgrounds and places within the United States spend their lives. I began this series as a kind of antidote to the erupted division and strife of the American political landscape. The paintings are all the same size (16”x20”), meant to be hung in a grid-like arrangement to question the idea of an egalitarian dream that democratic ideals promise. The goal was also to create an effect not dissimilar from those of patterned quilts of early America, hence creating an allusion to the “fabric” of society. The paintings address a desire to express a sense of place, for establishing boundaries, and for coexisting with nature in a way that benefits humans above all.