by A. Santiago A.

On July 4, 1776, the Continental Congress of the United States formally adopted the Declaration of Independence but no delegates had actually signed it. On August 2, 1776, the document became official.

Until an Executive Order of 24 June 1912, the American flag had no official proportions, arrangements, or guidelines for display. That it took almost 136 years before any rules were made about how to display the flag communicates that a focus on a national symbol is more of a recent phenomenon.

Artist Jasper Johns created his work, Flag, from 1954–1955. According to Johns, the inspiration came in a dream and he proceeded to create Flag using oils and encaustic (melted wax and pigment). The Museum of Modern Art tried to acquire Flag in 1958 but it was considered “potentially ‘unpatriotic’” by the Museum’s Committee and Board of Trustees. Seeing the work now, it’s difficult to see how it could’ve generated such trepidation. It was created in a moment that would seem so poetic to many: a dream realized into an artwork. The 48 stars and pieces of newspaper collaged into the artwork lend the work a specific place in time. And given the recent resurgence for the ‘good ol’ days’, I would think the work would be that much more popular now. That it wasn’t so readily accepted in 1958 possibly says something about how our society has changed.

In 1989, artist Dread Scott (SAIC, BFA 1989) created a very strong reaction with
his installation What is the Proper Way to Display a U.S. Flag? It prompted the audience to walk on an American flag in order to write in a blank ledger. The installation was accompanied by photos of the American flag being burned by South Korean students and photos of flag draped coffins. There were protests at the Art Institute of Chicago, threats were phoned in, and Congress moved to pass legislation to protect the flag. A disclaimer by the Chicago Police Department stated that anyone who would “publicly walk on… or defile the flag” could be arrested (Rao). That seems to add another angle to Scott’s work, one in which local law enforcement is intervening in the artist’s design for an artwork. I’ve heard the work described as being attention-seeking. But it seems to me that Dread Scott’s work brought up questions about how we feel about a symbolic object. Is our national identity more about our society and laws or are we so focused on a symbolic representation that any perceived slight is cause for violence? At what point does patriotism become compulsory? How far does it go? And who gets to define that?

I don’t have an artist or title for the following piece. I first saw it at an SAIC student art gallery in September 2016. The piece is all black, made of metal, and uses 50 cut-out profiles in place of the stars. The profiles suggest the features of a black person and since I remember the show being a collection of black artists, I don’t think I’m incorrect here. The stripes are individual pieces so it’s hard to see how this could have been displayed on anything other than a flat, horizontal surface. The craftsmanship is really excellent but gaps and spaces are visible. It causes me to think of a union that is not completely whole, unified. The literal weight of the work may represent the history and burdens borne by its people, especially the marginalized. The nature of the black metal along with the profiles seem to make a statement about inclusion, especially in the history of a country that has too many examples of ignoring minority groups

These are only a few examples of how the U.S. flag has been represented. I think it’s healthy to consider how these works make you want to react. And, if you disagree with these displays, how does that compare with recent uses of the flag in politically charged events (thin blue line, thin red line, as a weapon on 6 January 2021). Our society is currently undergoing tumultuous changes and national symbols such as the flag, once seemingly benign, have become polarizing to many. However you decide to spend the rest of your 4th of July, hopefully you are receiving the consideration and thoughtfulness that bring us together.

Sources:
“Facts About the United States Flag | Smithsonian Institution.” Smithsonian Institution. www.si.edu/spotlight/flag-day/flag-facts. Accessed 4 July 2022.

“History of Independence Day.” National Park Service. www.nps.gov/subjects/nationalmall4th/history-of-independence-day.htm. Accessed 4 July 2022.

“Jasper Johns, Flag 1954-55 (dated on reverse 1954).” The Museum of Modern Art. www.moma.org/collection/works/78805. Accessed 4 July 2022.

Rao, Angelie. “What Is the Proper Way to Display the US Flag?: An Interview with Dread Scott.” The School of the Art Institute of Chicago. www.saic.edu/150/what-proper-way-display-us-flag-interview-dread-scott.html. Accessed 4 July 2022.

“What is the Proper Way to Display a US Flag? –Dread Scott.” Dread Scott - Revolutionary Art—Propelling History Forward. www.dreadscott.net/portfolio_page/what-is-the-proper-way-to-display-a-us-flag. Accessed 4 July 2022.

by: A. Santiago A.
6 June 2022.

Above: The Extended Family, 1996.
Margaret T. Burroughs, 1917–2010
Location: East 55th Street near South Lake Park Ave, Hyde Park, Chicago IL.

When walking under the Metro tracks it’s hard to miss the collection of larger than life works by Margaret Burroughs (SAIC, MA, 1948). This portion represents an enlarged print of a linoleum cut. The piece has five portraits—wow! And there are other enlarged works adjacent to this. The five figures dominate the composition as a group. They have serious and somber expressions. My attention began with the figures in the background and it was much later during my observation that I noticed how the two frontmost figures are looking at the viewer, like a chain reaction of focus from the back to the foreground. The background is a series of vertical and horizontal markings that make me think of city buildings. Another thought is how clothing often seems to place a date on a portrait/painting. However, the clothing here doesn’t feel dated at all. I can’t definitely say these people are from a specific time period. In that sense, they feel very much alive, contemporary, and relevant. It’s as though I could run into them today.

Margaret Burroughs lived in Chicago, worked as an educator, and helped establish the South Side Community Art Center (3831 S. Michigan Ave., Chicago IL). She also helped establish the DuSable Museum of African American History (740 E. 56th Pl, Chicago IL).

I wish I had known more about her while I was in school. It’s hard to go to SAIC and not often hear about which other artists also attended, it’s often being mentioned. Not so much in a bragging sense but in a way that you should be aware of your fellow alums. I don’t know if it’s as simple as saying certain artists get more attention than others but it would’ve been nice to hear about artists that look more like me or seem more relatable to my own experiences.

One item of concern was the amount of prints that can be found online of this artwork. A couple sites in particular had various prints on pillows and frames created from a photograph someone had uploaded. I find that concerning because artist works are protected at least 75 years after the artist's death and I saw no text crediting the original artist. I do understand photography has its own copyright; if you see it and shoot it, it's generally yours. The conflict, as I see it here, is the photography didn't happen to include Burroughs's artwork, it was completely focused on it. That would be similar to me finding a very large photo print, taking a picture of just that, and then making money off of it. My image is not original, novel, and doesn't re-frame the subject, it's just an attempt at making revenue. The point? Be careful out there. If you're making art, it's a lot of effort to try to protect your work. And be mindful of creative works by others.

#FoundArt #Chicago #artwork #PublicArt

Caution: I'm paraphrasing a lot here.

Let me tell you about this French guy named Marcel DuChamp. He was an early 20th century artist who decides one day he’s gonna put a urinal in an art gallery. Crazy right? They were all like ‘this artist didn’t even try that hard—shit, he didn’t try at all.”  DuChamp was like ‘art is whatever I say it is.’ Well, they rejected his urinal artwork. DuChamp's reaction was then ‘Imma sue you and get my money!’

Anyway, DuChamp goes on to become one of the founding members of an art movement that redefines what it means to be an artist, what art is, what it can be, and he becomes one of the world’s best known artists. He didn’t care that people doubted him, he believed he was making a difference.

Sometimes we work with people who can’t see what we see. They doubt our efforts because they haven’t taken the time to understand how or what we are trying to do. But perhaps as long as we are informed, making a sincere effort, and believe in the thing we are doing then that can matter more than someone else’s doubts.

With that idea in mind, I offer you this mobile wallpaper as an encouragement of sorts that it's ok if others are unable to see the value of your contributions. You know you're making the effort—don't let up and don't stop looking. Finding others who can appreciate you is a constant effort.

This quote is from DuChamp's fellow artist friend, Filippo Tommaso Marinetti.
​
I wrote this in a spur of the moment so proper references will arrive in a later edit. Thx!

One of my daughter's recent activities is spelling words. I made a print version you can cut out but I also realized some families may not have access to a printer. Here are some flash cards for your phone as well. Vowels and consonants are separated by color. I used a warm background to make viewing easier on your child's eyes. We're spending many hours in front of a screen these days and warm colors are less likely to keep your little one up at night.

edit > Nov 9 > I changed the font to Lexend Deca because it has more identifiable descenders. Also changed the background gradient to better differentiate "high frequency words."

For mobile:
Make a new album in your photos app. Then save these individually.

If you are a parent or student of Florence Nightingale Elementary (Chicago Public Schools), here is a guide I created to help you log into the Seesaw app. Seesaw is a web app where students can get assignments from teachers.

Open the file below and follow the steps. Before you begin, do the following:

• Have your CPS student username,
  
• Know your password,
• Log into Google with your CPS student account,
  
• Receive a code from your teacher.
  

I hope this helps you.

In another round of 'work no one asked me to do,' I decided to animate the titles and authors from a suggested reading list provided by the Seminary Co-Op bookstore in Chicago, IL.

Being accustomed to video and photography, I began composing the work using the rule of thirds. While that has its strengths, I think the work could have benefited even more from a typographic grid which would permit broader exploration of the elements in a visual and typographic sense. I intended the work to be brief and based the titles on their immediate meaning until I got to certain books where I had to read some descriptions to better understand the title.

I used Photoshop and exported the video in 720p. Enjoy!

I recently came across an online flyer for a local comic book store and thought "I can help with that." This work is completely unsolicited because it's just something I wanted to do.

I began with utilizing a typographic grid and attempted to create a visual hierarchy according to what seemed like the most important information. This would be the event title. My preference would be for the "fine print" rules about purchases to come next. Personally, I dislike learning about limits and restrictions after I've gotten excited about potential purchases. Setting the name of the store was challenging for this small exercise since it's the place to go and is probably very important to the store owner. It's important to be cautious about someone else's work/business/identity. Because this redesign is unsolicited and there was no dialogue between myself and the other party, I attempted to be mindful about how the business name is presented.

The visual elements were considered after I had decided on layout, type choices, and copy. Images were pulled from online comic book artwork. It would be standard to cite sources and credit the artists. However, it seems to be common practice for comic book stores to use comics-related artwork in their retail endeavors. I chose heroes of color to acknowledge current events and because representation is important. I considered using only one image to minimize distractions but I think limiting the artwork to a column also helps. The halftone pattern in the red and blue shapes came from a Tuts Plus tutorial.

Overall, I believe it's an effort in a positive direction that improves upon the original—but that's a personal perspective.

edit:
** I moved the "fine print" down on the visual heirarchy. It created more white space and seems to further emphasize the grid.
* I made the title stronger to create better contrast, tightened up the leading on the copy, and rearranged the addresses to emphasize the grid.

Sources:
First Aid Comics, Home page, accessed 26 June 2020, https://www.firstaidcomics.com.
Mark Anthony, "InDesign #101 – A Beginner's Guide to Modular Grids," 13 April 2016, https://mark-anthony.ca/modular-grids-indesign.
Sara Berntsson, "How to Create Halftone Effects in Adobe Illustrator," 31 March 2020, https://design.tutsplus.com/tutorials/how-to-create-halftone-effects-in-adobe-illustrator--cms-25121.

Have you ever needed to calculate how much to charge someone for driving? Whether it's a friend or a client, sometimes people just want to pay you back for your effort. Figuring out what to charge them is a balance between the relationship (personal, business) and an amount that seems fair to both parties.

The IRS calculates a reimbursement price for this which is only accurate if they update it to reflect other factors such as inflation, cost of living, etc. As of this writing, the IRS publication reflects pricing for 2019—lucky you. 

If you're working on a Mac, you can use Numbers (which comes free) and this spreadsheet I created to help you. Use Sheet 1 to enter the kilometers you've driven and you can use Sheet 2 as an invoice/receipt. The receipt sheet references the miles and has no gridlines because most people prefer to hide them. I also added another line in case you want to charge for anything extra like lollipops.