America: A Living Flag Artwork

The US Flag Code states that the flag "represents a living country and is itself considered a living thing." This monumental artwork takes that idea literally, by transforming a flag into a stitched, living document.

The foundation of this artwork is a vintage 1950s American flag, found at an antiques mall in Burlington, NJ, and originally made by the Valley Forge Flag Company from "Best" bunting double-sided cotton. Across the vivid red, white, and blue, we've layered hundreds of yards of upcycled cotton denim, sourced from friends in the NYC fashion industry. Denim strips are folded into individual letters, and words are hand-stitched by all members of the Haptic Lab team over the course of several months. 

The words belong to Robert Creeley's 1969 poem "America", a haunting meditation on what it means to belong to a place you didn't choose and can't fully endorse. It reads as both lament and love letter, an admission that loving this country has never been simple, and a quiet question about whether that love is returned.  

A note from the studio

This is the kind of piece we don't make twice. After our flag was completed, we genuinely debated keeping it. (Tbh, I'm still debating.) The price of this artwork reflects the monumental, collaborative nature of the piece itself; we promise to work directly with the purchaser for guidance on display and archival treatment.