The Otherside

I missed covering the Independence Day commemorations this week due to a prior engagement. Still, I thought about the significance of creating, documenting, and remembering our history, as well as relating it to current events. When all's said and done, sovereignty and independence are illusions presented to us in school, by the media, and by the government through colorful spectacles and grand speeches -- illusions that don't hold up to the critical eye which questions and protests against domination, whether by other States, corporate interests, or groups based on race or religion, among others. Even on the otherside of the Pacific, powerful symbols can be interrogated by artists and scenes can take on other meanings. Nevertheless, it takes much more imagination and courage to consider what freedom really looks and feels like.

Jo
061512

*At the MOMA with David Hammons' African-American Flag and other art work on display