Drapeau française (Le Rouge) 1968

Curator: Immediately, I am struck by the sheer boldness of this, the audacious sweep of red. It's like a visual shout! Editor: That’s certainly one way to put it! We're looking at Gerard Fromanger's "Drapeau française (Le Rouge)," or "French Flag (The Red)," an acrylic on canvas from 1968. It's a striking, somewhat subversive take on a national symbol. Curator: Subversive is the word! I mean, it's the tricolor, but so deconstructed. The red bleeds, almost violently, across the canvas. What was Fromanger trying to say? Was it a comment on the turbulence of '68, the societal fractures? Editor: Absolutely, the historical context is crucial. '68 was a year of upheaval, right? Protests, strikes... Fromanger, as a committed Pop artist, was deeply engaged with the political climate. This flag isn't a celebration of unity, it's an interrogation of it. It's acrylic, but resembles something spilling... Curator: I notice how simplified everything is, down to the most minimal color blocks. You've got this almost crude, gestural application of paint. The hard lines give it the pop art quality. Yet, that vibrant red is doing all the work, isn't it? Commanding your eye. It overtakes the others. Editor: Precisely, and the choice of red is so charged! In the French Revolution, red symbolized the blood of the people, of revolution, of socialism. Here, it’s as if Fromanger is asking, "What does this 'blood' mean now? Is it sacrifice? Is it anger?" It’s meant to stir something up within you. Curator: You know, thinking about it, the "incomplete" aspect is what I find most poignant. It reminds us that national identity is never fixed, it’s fluid, contested, always being made and remade. It feels like an unfinished equation, or an erased blackboard! Editor: Indeed. And by choosing such a recognizable symbol, then distorting it, Fromanger forces us to question what that symbol really represents, and whether its traditional meaning still holds true. What does that symbol tell you? Curator: A fascinating piece. It’s a reminder that even the most familiar images can hold layers of complexity and questioning. I can see new shapes in the colours now. Editor: I agree, this isn't just a flag. It's a mirror reflecting a society grappling with its own ideals, hopes, and contradictions. That flash of red tells me something I don't think I expected.