Title: Belted Crescent + Star
Creator: Christopher Carter
Material: Found materials, leather, caste rubber
Year: 2009
At the African American Museum in Philadelphia there are two exhibitions. First, is the core exhibition, Audacious Freedom. The museum also has a temporary gallery that
is now exhibiting the art of Christopher Carter. Carter used found material
from an old barn (the barn is a former munitions depot from before the Civil
War) to create many of pieces on display.
The pieces in this exhibition, Stalwart,
were also chosen by Carter because they help to tell a story or are made from
similar materials. The story Carter is trying to tell at the AAMP has two
parts. First, some of the pieces have a nautical theme to imply the slave ships
African were brought to American on. The
other issue he is trying to being attention to concerns flag burning, so many
of the pieces look like flags.
Carter’s inspirations for these pieces were the burning of
Middle Eastern flags that took place after 9/11. I think he wanted to show
flags that it would be difficult to burn given the materials he used. Not only
did he use Middle Eastern flags for inspiration, but several flags are also based
on state flags, including Texas Two Star.
(Cute word play on the two-step and Lonestar state).
Belted Crescent + Star
is based on the flags of Pakistan, Turkey, and Azerbaijan. It most directly connects to the Carter’s
message. For the same reasons any of
these flags might be burned, people may be opposed to this piece. On the other hand, some other may find it
offensive to show their homeland’s flag or the American flag as a mangled piece
of old industrial equipment.
Teachers could use this exhibit in many ways. First, they could use this the same way our
host, Adrianne, did to explain the issues of flag burning post-9/11. Another
activity could have students identify what real flag the artists interpretation
most closely represents. A museum educated could then ask what it is flags
represent to people. Lastly, students could illustrate their own flag, or
visual interpret the meaning of a flag, based on age groups.
