Flag art by Brad Devlin

I went to the opening of an art show this week that really resonated with me, because the artist's subject is one that I've been fascinated by for years.  Brad Devlin is a local artist whose work for many years has been to recycle found objects and junk, and this show consisted entirely of flags.

Brad Devlin, Feel The Bern

Brad Devlin, Take Five

 Brad Devlin, Manifest Destiny

Brad Devlin, Melting Pot #3 (detail below)

(yes, they're tiny carpet samples)

Brad Devlin, D Boon Kilt A Bar

I find it intriguing how the basic format of the American flag -- starry union in the corner, stripes of alternating color -- is so ingrained in our minds that you can vary it considerably and still say "flag."  Even if you saw only one of these works, without a title and in any context, you would know it's a flag.

Hold that thought -- I'll be writing more on the subject of flags in my own art in subsequent posts.