National flags are symbolic, as is the act of subverting them. I often work with objects and things that have their own authority, be it flags, bullets, money or genitals. They come pre-loaded with great power and by working with them I invest that into the work.
The Star Spangled Banner is an icon depicted by myriad artists, all of whom had some or other comment to make. Several pieces I have made featuring the flag appear in Stars & Stripes, a book dedicated to such artworks.
Made from hundreds casts from my penis, with its deliberately ambiguous title, the work invites you to draw your own conclusions based on how the symbolism of the flag and the penis confront you. I could just be lampooning the male ego and the military industrial complex with the bell-ends looking like rows of soldiers’ helmets. Does ‘Old Glory’ suggest their power is waning? As ever in my work it is layered with meanings and you get to choose.
I was at art school in the USA, am hugely fond of the place and work there often. I may not always agree with the politics but it’s not my circus, not my monkeys. Old Glory is one of the flag’s nicknames and so I’m just sarcastically parodying my sexual shenanigans as a student there.
Material: Resin, acrylic paint, timber.
Size cm: 156w x 94h x 6.5d
inches: 61.5w x 37h x 2.5d
Edition: unique
