Britannica 1959 Flag
James Allen
Judge Patricia H. Clark Children and Family Justice Center
A transformed encyclopedia set becomes a metaphor for America.
1959 Britannica Flag is what James Allen calls a "book excavation," a relief sculpture made from books, cut open to reveal carefully selected text and images. This particular work, cut and assembled to form an American flag, is constructed from a full set of Encyclopedia Britannica published in 1959—the kind of broad reference material people commonly kept in their homes prior to the advent of the internet.
“Like the country, the piece has many layers that come together to create the whole,” Allen says. He hopes the imagery “will spark curiosity and conversation about history, nature, places, and many other topics.”Continue Reading ›
Born in Illinois, Allen currently lives and works in Portland, OR. His book excavations are featured in Art Made From Books: Altered, Sculpted, Carved, Transformed published by Chronicle books and can be found in public collections at UCLA, Johns Hopkins University, Ringling College of Art and Design, University of Puget Sound, University of Colorado Boulder, Baylor University, and University of Wisconsin Milwaukee. They have also been widely exhibited at galleries and museums.
About the Location
Judge Patricia H. Clark Children and Family Justice Center
4Culture believes in juvenile justice reform that results in zero youth detention. We also believe artists can lead the way in enacting this change, as culture-bearers, storytellers, and community-builders. Every single artist involved with the Clark Children and Family Justice Center (CFJC) project has demonstrated a commitment to uplifting young people. Likewise, all of the…
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