Banner Flags of Resistance and Revolution, 2019. Screenprint on re-purposed material.

In this exchange portfolio, artists were invited to create printed, vertically-hanging banner-flags on paper, fabric or other substrates that broadly relate to the Mid-America Print Council 2020 Conference themes of Resistance and Revolution. Artists were invited to create prints in any medium no larger than 11”x18” and affix their prints with ¼-inch grommets attached to the top corners for hanging. 

Prints could be cut into a variety of shapes in order to reference medieval banners, sports pennants or maritime flags. Because all of the flags are affixed with grommets, they are able to be displayed from a wall by pins or nails or along a horizontal string or hung from the ceiling. Each of these flags reflects the participating artist’s unique take on the MAPC 2020 Conference themes through the lens of identity, community, gender, ethnicity, sexuality, or political agenda. Together, the flags act as a public declaration of the participating artist’s values, beliefs, or aspirations.

Noah Breuer, curator

The printed flag entitled, K.O. POTUS, brings attention to climate change and the concept of giving legal rights to nature. This idea was introduced by the American legal scholar, Christopher D. Stone, in the 1970s and has gained traction in various places around the world in recent years, such as Ecuador, and New Zealand. Because flags are usually associated with legitimately recognized countries this flag is a symbolic gesture of giving nature a voice and recognition.

The flag is in the shape of a boxing glove. The image on the front depicts an octopus while the text on the backside plays on the German spelling of oktopus and is an anagram of two acronyms: K.O. POTUS (Knock Out President of the United States).