Monumental Cloth: Its Insidious Presence in Popular Culture
A
Monumental Cloth That Tells a New Truth About the US Civil War
Jasmine Weber, April 9, 2019, Hyperallergic
PHILADELPHIA — Yoga mats, decorative throw pillows, beach towels,
do-rags, and wedding rings: all objects you can purchase today
emblazoned with the Confederate battle flag.
Though Confederate soldiers waved a number of flags, none have become
as culturally emblematic and parasitic as the rebel flag we know
today. But contemporary artist Sonya Clark is challenging its insidious
presence in popular culture.
“Hate and racial discrimination is an easy disease to catch in this
nation,” Clark said during a tour of her recently opened exhibition
Monumental Cloth, The Flag We Should Know. Even if we can take
down statues heralding Confederate generals, she says, the symbol of the
rebel flag is “far more pervasive and problematic.” And to this
problem, Clark has presented a solution.
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absolute power depends on absolute control over knowledge, which in turn necessitates absolute corruption
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