Black Cotton Flag Made In Georgia
Date2018
MediumBlack cotton and black thread
Dimensions168 × 324 inches (426.7 × 823 cm) (14 x 27 feet)
Credit LineMuseum purchase with funds provided by the Jack W. Lindsay Acquisition Endowment Fund.
Object number2018.9
Copyright© Paul Stephen Benjamin.
The images and text contained on this page are owned by Telfair Museums or used by the Museum with permission from the owners. Unauthorized reproduction, transmission or display of these materials is prohibited with the exception of items deemed “fair use” as defined by U.S. and international copyright laws.Label TextMany contemporary artists have, over the past century, looked to the American flag as an iconic symbol to reinterpret while creating and giving new meaning. But how does an American flag as an object differ from an image of a flag or from an artistic interpretation of a flag? Does a flag intended as art need to uphold the same customs and traditions as an actual flag? Benjamin’s Black Cotton Flag explores this dilemma by borrowing the flag’s imagery and symbolism for his own artistic purpose. Black Cotton Flag commands attention, not only because of its impressive physical scale, but also because it generates conversation about national symbols: who creates them, who they speak for, who identifies with them, what they say about how each of us belong to an identity, and the values they represent. And yet, beyond any of this context, Benjamin’s flag is simply what he declares it is—a black cotton flag made in Georgia.
