The Flag is Bleeding #2 (American Collection #6) 1997

Faith Ringgold made "The Flag is Bleeding #2" using paint and fabric—a striking piece of storytelling. Imagine Ringgold stitching, layering, building up this image. It’s not just a flag; it’s a narrative, pieced together with intention, and with so much feeling! I feel Ringgold using the flag, a loaded symbol, and making it weep, bleed almost. The blood-red paint drips down those stripes, thick and visceral, demanding attention. It's as if she’s asking, “What does this flag really stand for? Who does it protect, and who does it harm?” Ringgold wasn't just making an image, she was creating a space for dialogue, confrontation, and maybe, just maybe, healing. This work resonates so much with the tradition of artists using the canvas not just to depict, but to question, provoke, and push us to see differently. It invites us to reflect on our own relationship to the symbols and stories we inherit, encouraging us to piece together our own understanding of the world.