Laurie Beth Clark
University of Wisconsin-Madison Professor of Art (4-D).
For more information, visit LaurieBethClark.art

This is an installation of my collection of Post-Consumer Patriotic Paraphernalia. The motivation behind this collection is a specific line in the U.S. Flag Code that states: “The flag represents a living country and is itself considered a living thing.” This collection consists entirely of patriotic objects that have been discarded, abandoned, or disposed of. While the flag code dictates that a series of guidelines and rituals be upheld, this collection shows various patriotic objects in different stages of value and waste. These items exhibit an inconsistency; although they are sacred living entities, they are also consumer objects that are designed to be disposable. This contradiction shows that these objects not only act as references to larger patriotic ideals but also serve alternative commercial functions.