Tattered: Investigation of an American Icon
Exhibit Dates: June 9 - July 10, 2012
Opening & Artist Talk: Friday June 15, 6 - 8 PM
Vermont photographer Seth Butler has been working on a photographic essay about the American Flag entitled Tattered: Investigation of an American Icon since 2001. Tattered is a documentary photo essay investigating the identity, misuse, commodification and desecration of the American flag in the context of the U.S. Flag Code. Photographs from Butler's Tattered series will be exhibited at the Seminary Art Center in Waterbury, Vermont from June 9 through July 10, 2012 in a benefit for The Veteran's Place. Twenty percent of all gross print sales from the exhibition to benefit the Veterans Place, Inc. in Northfield, Vermont.
The Tattered series investigates the variety of ways that the American flag can be misused and desecrated when considered in the context of the U.S. Flag Code. The Flag Code is a series of rules and regulations surrounding the usage of the American Flag. Its contents are not widely known and may even be surprising (for instance, the image of the American flag may not be combined with any other sign or symbol or used for advertising purposes in any manner). In the context of the U.S. Flag Code, some well-meaning, patriotic Americans may misrepresent the flag by doing such seemingly innocent things as pinning it to a car antenna or wearing its design as clothing. Butler documents such instances in his photo essay Tattered.
For the exhibition, the artist accompanies images of the American flag installed in conjunction with a given section from the U.S. Flag Code that was violated in each instance. The essay enables those who view his series to have a more intimate view of the governmental policies surrounding the flag, and how that corresponds to its popular use and patriotic intentions.Butler is an award-winning photographer working in the traditions of Documentary, Photojournalism and Fine Art Photography. Seth Butler was chosen to represent Vermont in 2009 as Vermont's Photographer in the critically acclaimed 50 States Project and his recent work from Tibet was exhibited at the 2011 Angkor Photography Festival in Angkor Wat, Cambodia. His project Tattered: Investigation of an American Icon has been heralded by Harvard anthropologist Grant McCracken and featured in numerous galleries, collections and publications including Der Spiegel, Vision Magazine, BlueEyes Magazine and The Journal of Contemporary Culture.
Seminary Art Center Gallery is located at 201 Hollow Road, Waterbury, Vermont 05677 Phone: 802-253-8790 Email: seminaryart@gmail.com
