Those that have tuned into national news over the past year will have seen the American flag being flown at scenes both historic and shocking. From images of the insurrection in the nation’s capital on January 6th to the political campaign trail, the American flag is ubiquitous.

For many photographers in the U.S., it’s difficult to capture any moment without the presence of the flag in the frame. The flag serves as a visual crutch for photographers. It is a symbol that has embedded meaning and adds an additional layer to an image, for better or worse. It is also graphically appealing, especially when it creates a clean background for the scene.

Over the winter, I found myself digging through my archive of images. After only a few hours, I realized I had dozens of images that are linked together through the symbol of the American flag or by the colors of red, white, and blue. As a result, my personal interest in nationalism and its dangers has subconsciously drawn me to make images that examine everyday nationalism in the U.S.

For much of my life, rhetoric that I would now define as nationalistic was commonplace across my interactions and daily experience, yet I never saw it as such. My understanding of America was layered into the everyday and mundane, where exceptionalism was a part of the identity and belief system I grew up within.

Pei explains it as such, “Why does a highly nationalistic society consistently view itself as anything but? The source of this paradox lies in the forces that sustain nationalism in the United States. Achievements in science and technology, military strength, economic wealth, and unrivaled global political influence can no doubt generate strong national pride. But what makes American nationalism truly exceptional are the many ways in which it is naturally expressed in daily life.” Pei highlights how daily expressions of nationalism become an undercurrent in society that perpetuates the flaws of America without examination or consequence.