Created by
Thomas, Hank Willis, American, born 1976
Date
2022
Medium
cotton and synthetic cloth
Dimensions
H x W x D (frame): 99 × 102 3/4 × 1 1/2 in. (251.5 × 261 × 3.8 cm)
Caption
“The thing about America: liberty, justice, equality are all terms that come to mind but, for millions of Americans throughout its entire history as a nation, that has never really been true.” – Hank Willis Thomas
Spiral combines fabric from the United States flag with cloth from decommissioned prison uniforms, visually conflating “the stars and stripes” with the bars of imprisonment. This symbolic connection undercuts the false promise of liberty for all Americans, beginning with the continuing legacy of enslavement under the constitution to the contemporary prison industrial complex and its disproportionate impact on African American men.
The cotton in the fabric of the flags and the prison uniforms also pays homage to the backbreaking work of cotton harvesting produced by many people of African descent in the southern United States.
Description
A quilted work composed of decommissioned prison uniforms and United States flags. The piece juxtaposes the blue and white striped fabric of the prison uniform cloth with the red and white stripes of fabric from the American flag. Various sized pieces of each are layered and stitched together to form a graphic, square-shaped spiral pattern with the prison uniform cloth on the proper right side and the flag fabric on the proper left. There is a narrow strip of red and white stripes along half the long edge of the blue uniform side and a corresponding narrow strip of blue and white stripes along half the long edge of the flag side. The prison uniform fabric shows many stains and signs of wear and white sections of the flag stripes have yellowed with age.
Place depicted
United States, North and Central America
Classification
Visual Arts
Textiles and Quilts
Type
quilts
mixed media
textile art (visual works)
Topic
Art
Prisons
Race discrimination
United States History
Credit Line
Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Museum purchase generously supported by American Express
Object number
2023.106
Restrictions & Rights
© Hank Willis Thomas. Courtesy of the artist and Jack Shainman Gallery, New York
Permission required for use. Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
GUID
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/fd57b3a1ef2-2fde-4ec1-8400-2222603f9c7b

Cataloging is an ongoing process and we may update this record as we conduct additional research and review. If you have more information about this object, please contact us at NMAAHCDigiTeam@si.edu

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