sanda iliescu

In the spring of 2018, I collaborated with students in my studio class “Painting and Public Art,” to create a participatory painting of a large American flag in varying shades of gray. In the project, we sought to capture in visual form both the diversity of viewpoints and the sense of uncertainty people feel in this age of bitter political division. More than 100 students, staff, professors, and members of the Charlottesville community participated in the painting process over a ten-day period. As part of the project, participants were asked to fill out a questionnaire that asked them to describe what the American flag meant to them. One poignant response was: For me, the flag represents the ability to speak my mind. To stand up for others, even the trees, and especially the birds. The ability to march and yell when I feel something is not right. The painting The American Flag: A study in Gray is now in the permanent art collection of the University of Virginia.

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