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Art Exhibit: US Flag Reinvented To Reflect Immigrant Heritage

Posted October 11, 2010 by Ted Hesson

In 1956, Congress passed a resolution making “In God We Trust” the official motto of the United States.

The phrase wasn’t without competition, however. In approving the motto, Congress recognized that another phrase was already widely used throughout the nation: “E pluribus unum,” which means “Out of many, one.”

The usage of “E pluribus unum” goes back to the adoption of a national seal in 1782, and first appeared on US currency in 1795. The motto spoke to the melting pot ideology, which painted a portrait of the US as a nation built and renewed by the work of immigrants.

The image of many nations forming one is just as relevant today as it was in the colonial era, and the motto comes to Long Island this week in the form of the “e pluribus” art exhibit, which will be on display at Stony Brook University from October 12 through December 5 at the Wang Center.

The central subject of the exhibit is the American flag, with some modifications. Artist Murial Stockdale reworks “Old Glory” into dozens of new flags that celebrate the range of immigrant cultures present in the states: a Chinese flag features handmade silk dolls in place of the stars, a Colombian flag draws the stripes with gold-leafed coffee beans, a Scottish flag uses the print of a kilt instead of red, white, and blue.

“Old Glory” constructed out of Tibetan prayer flags as part of the “e pluribus” exhibit at Stony Brook University.

The resulting exhibit playfully shows how immigrants assimilate into American culture while simultaneously shaping that culture with their own traditions and heritage.

Here’s a video featuring gallery-goer reactions from the exhibition’s stay at LaGuardia Community College:

You can also hear Stockdale talk about the creative process that went into creating the flags on Wednesday, October 27, 12:50pm. For more info, contact .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).

Tags : art, e pluribus, flags, stony brook, suny

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