The Paradox of a Nation Under God...

The second testament, according to the King James Bible, states;
 

"Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God..."

 
I have always had an interest in American cultural absurdities; including religion and, of course, the American flag. To me, the American flag, as a symbol, follows in the footsteps of a carving of Jesus Crucified. The flag is an object that symbolizes America's freedoms as well as it's victory to secure those freedoms; and the crucifix symbolizes the freedoms of humankind as bestowed upon them through the victorious completion of the life of Jesus Christ. In a country that claims millions upon millions who follow whole-heartedly the word of "God," it seems there are many large miscalculations and misinterpretations of "His" word. For as it is written in the holy dictionary, a graven image, by definition, is an object of worship carved usually from wood or stone. But wouldn't the word of God extend beyond carving in wood or stone to include all future technological processes from plaster molds to computer generated images? So, any objects or images made in the likeness of any existing thing or idea on earth, in the ocean, or in heaven, that is worshipped or is a symbol causing mass servitude; would be a sin according to the second commandment.
 

 
Since I was a young boy, I was under the impression that the American flag, being a symbol of American values and such, was something to serve, something to fly high, to salute, and to follow. To me, this woven "likeness", that people follow so willingly, is no less of a sin than serving a false idol. In a country who's government officials and much of the general public hold so close the ten commandments of the Christian bible, as well as the first ten amendments to the United States Constitution; a porcelain bust of Jesus, and the American flag, represent the same offense.
 

 
These two images, along with being part of an ongoing extended self-portrait project, are a couple my interpretations of the paradox within the parallels between Christian and American cultures.

New Images: All Work, All the Time.

If there is one thing I learned in graduate school, it came from Paul D'amato; that no matter where you are or what position you are in, you should always be making work. All work, all the time, that's how you stay in the game; not only physically, but mentally as well. And I have been. These two images are a product of my most recent way of thinking about photography, about art. It's a partial answer to a simple question: How can you make art when you are not in the financial position to do so, especially in the field of photography which is notoriously very expensive? While I would rather be working on my main project "Coming Home Never Felt So Good...", I have been doing a few side projects that require no monetary backing: scanned imagery, found imagery, drawings, minimal writings (haha), etc. So, how can I make work that means something to me and could possibly hold weight in a very populous community such as art photography? Lately, I have been thinking very introspectively, about my roots, where I grew up, previous artistic endeavors of mine, etc. Also, about who I am, who I've been, and who I may someday be. I've found that when you can't afford to think about the world, out side of your own brain and so on, you might as well take a look at yourself. I've made a fair amount of work within this spectrum of thought, and these two images are the result of trying to understand myself in the most primitive visual way I could think of: looking at my body. My body, throughout all the changes in my life, has always been present. Such an obvious statement charts a way to a fairly obvious, but thoughtful, investigation of the self. The two image are scans of my hands and my feet. They are a small look at my identity, personality, my being, etc. Hopefully I will be making enough money soon to fund my other project(s), but for the time being; this. There are more images within this body of work, and there are certainly more to come. Remember, "All Work, All The Time!" Enjoy.