A mixed-media assemblage that uses a reimagined American flag, red barbed wire, and Indian nickels to examine nationalism, legal immigration, power, and the uneasy relationship between patriotism and political extremism.
For 10+ years, I had a career as a political graphic artist—quite possibly the most prolific one in New Mexico history. When I began to paint abstracts in 2019, I resisted bringing politics into my work, preferring to explore color, texture, balance, and abstraction without reference to current events. Yet artists do not create in a vacuum. We are witnesses to the culture around us, and there are moments when remaining silent feels less honest than speaking plainly.
The altered flag—a spray-painted, old cotton dinner napkin—at the center of this composition is intentionally unsettling. Encircled by a barrier of red barbed wire, it serves as a symbol of a nation wrestling with competing ideas of patriotism, identity, immigration and power. The stenciled phrase beneath the flag suggests a transfer of authority, while inviting viewers to consider who now holds influence and to what end.
When friends tell me they preferred my work before it became political, I understand their sentiment. Yet I believe artists have a responsibility not only to create beauty, but also to reflect the world they inhabit. Creative expression has long served as a mirror for society—challenging assumptions, documenting cultural shifts, and encouraging thoughtful conversation.
Whether viewed as protest, warning, or simply observation, Under New Management asks a question rather than providing an answer: What happens when the symbols we cherish begin to mean something different?
• 30x30x2.25 in.
• Mixed media on deep birch cradleboard
