American Flag (1961) | Cey Adams at New River Fine Art

By Gabriel Delgado

Cey Adams' "American Flag (1961)" is a mixed media collage that re-contextualizes the familiar iconography of the American flag through an assembly of historical and cultural ephemera, which speaks to the complexities of American identity and history.

The flag's structure serves as a scaffold for an intricate mosaic of paper-based materials, including advertisements, product labels, and possibly excerpts from magazines. By utilizing elements from the consumer and media landscape, particularly those that may originate from around the year 1961, Adams provides commentary on the societal values and historical moments that are woven into the national fabric. This choice of year is significant, as it falls during a period of profound social and political transformation in the United States, with the civil rights movement gaining momentum and the early stages of the Vietnam War.

Each stripe of the flag is created from layered segments of these materials, forming a visual narrative of commerce, lifestyle, and political sentiment. The red stripes contain imagery ranging from automotive advertising to beverage logos, implying the role of consumerism in American culture. This is contrasted with text and imagery that evoke personal and political spheres, suggesting a tension between public and private life, individualism, and collectivism.

The field of blue that houses the stars is also composed of mixed media, with the stars themselves seeming to burst forth from the background. This area symbolizes the enduring values of the nation—such as liberty and justice—as ideals that stand out against the everyday narratives of American life.

The collage is created on a wood panel and its dimensionality offers a literal and metaphorical depth to the piece, inviting the viewer to consider the layers of meaning behind each element and the multidimensional nature of American history.

Adams’ "American Flag (1961)" is rich in symbolism. The juxtaposition of cultural artifacts against the iconic American flag not only calls attention to the diversity of experiences within the nation but also to the way in which these experiences are enmeshed in the larger American narrative. It prompts reflection on how history is recorded and remembered through material culture and how national identity is constructed and reconstructed across time.

Art historically, the painting engages in a metaphysical dialogue with Jasper Johns' earlier flag paintings, but whereas Johns' work was more about the visual and tactile experience of the image, Adams' flag is laden with specific historical and cultural references that invite a more content-driven interpretation.?

This painting underscores the notion that the flag is not a static symbol but a living, changing representation of the nation's collective consciousness. And in 1961, the collective consciousness was one of: “the society we seek to build….is not a capitalist one. It is a society in which the spirit of community and humanistic love prevail”.? (1)

"American Flag (19161)" is at New River Fine Art, for more information, contact the gallery at 954-524-2100 or email [email protected]

(Citations)

(1) Carmichael, Stokely; ‘Stokely Speaks: From Black Power to Pan-Africanism’, Lawrence Holl Books,1965,1971,2007; pg.29

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Image: Cey Adams (b. 1962)

American Flag (1961), 2024

Mixed media collage on panel

72 x 36 x 4 in?