Hank Willis Thomas "Pledge" (2018)

A group of children gather together along the lower half of the image. They have a ghostly sheen, drawing attention to a large American flag above them. This flag is the only part of the image that is not inverted and stands out boldly in contrast to the ghostly white image surrounding it. The artist encourages the use of a camera flash, which, due to the retroreflective nature of the vinyl, becomes visible when exposed to bright light. The viewer gains multiple perspectives. The full image, appearing aged like an old photograph, presents a group of young children, fourteen, standing in front of a high blank outdoor wall.
Hank Willis Thomas "Pledge" (2018) is on view in "Going Dark: The Contemporary Figure at the Edge of Visibility."
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