3 Flags for 1 Space and 6 Regions
Artist: Vito Acconci (American, 1940-2017)
Date: 1981
Dimensions:
6 sheets, each: H: 24 in. (61 cm); W: 32 in. (81.3 cm).
Image: H: 72 in. (82.9 cm); W: 64 in. (62.7 cm).
Medium: Photo-etching
Classification: Prints
Credit Line: American Art Fund
Object number: 1982.202A-F
Label Text:In this emotionally charged artwork, Vito Acconci depicts the overlapping flags of China, the Soviet Union, and the United States, the three “superpowers” whose ideological rivalry for world influence defined the Cold War. The American flag and the Chinese flag cover but do not hide the flag of the Soviet Union. The artist frequently used national flags in his artwork to convey his interest in the larger issues of geography, politics, and culture. While these prints are representative of Acconci’s ambiguous and ambivalent approach to political subjects, the placement of the flags would seem prescient considering the current geo-political reality. Each section of this visually beautiful and masterly printed etching is individually framed creating divisions between the six “regions” of the title.
Not on view
In Collection(s)