Untitled (Flag 2), Josephine Meckseper

Untitled (Flag 2) is a manufactured textile work that is 48 inches tall and 72 inches wide. The work is loosely attached against the wall behind a sheet of Plexiglas. To the right are two waist high pedestals, each holding a three-ring binder. The first holds sheets of paper offering space for visitors to respond to two questions. First: What is an issue you are passionate about? Second: In what ways can our differences unite us? If you would like to add a response, please feel free to ask a gallery attendant for assistance. The second binder contains a statement from the Spencer Museum about this installation and images of other works in the Pledges of Allegiance series. Tap the Web icon to access digital versions of these resources. In the center of the fabric, the image of a black drip painting is printed. Large splotches to the left and right are entirely black, but patterns of dripping extend in vertical and horizontal lines. The drips are spaced and regular enough to create a grid-like impression. Around the outer edges are isolated drips and splatters. Through the center is an approximately five-inch wide gap, as if the image were cut down the center and separated so no black shows in the space and the background is visible. In the lower left corner is a graphic representation of a child-sized, black and white, horizontally striped sock. The background is printed with a representation of the American flag. A blue rectangle occupies the upper left quarter of the work, with white, five-pointed stars in rows across it. The other three-fourths of the work are filled with 13 red and white stripes. Some of the stars and stripes are obscured by the superimposed black image and sock.