Artist Statement

“How is America seen today? How can I illustrate a unified America (especially when it seems so divided)? How do the symbols of the United States evoke national identity?” These questions guided my sustained investigation through experimentation, practice, and revision. “Purple” shows experimentation with collage and embroidery. I was not familiar with these mediums during this project, but I can confidently say, because I went out of my comfort zone, this is a piece of which I am extremely proud. Additionally, practice with colored pencils is seen in “Cracked  and Wasted,” “Salute,” and “It’s Your Duty”. Finally, revision is found in “Growing Towards New Heights”. I was not initially going to draw the colored pencil rose on top of the print, but I decided to add it later in the process. Overall, the piece which guided the majority of my work is “Salute” because it sends a message of American Pride, given that the flag is America’s most recognizable symbol, and gratitude for the servicemen and women who sacrifice their lives every day for the country we all so adore. In times of crisis and celebration, pride and protest, people have shown the flag to express their ideas about what it means to be American.