Clothes Flags Fly 2017

Curator: "Clothes Flags Fly," painted by David Michael Hinnebusch in 2017. It's an acrylic on canvas, and it hits you with an immediate sense of… unease, maybe? Editor: I get that! It's chaotic. Colors clash, lines are frantic. It's like a hurricane hit a laundry line. Curator: Precisely! The title itself, "Clothes Flags Fly," evokes a sense of displacement, of garments flapping in the wind like desperate signals. Consider the broader semiotic context: clothing often symbolizes identity, status, and even vulnerability. Here, it seems those meanings are deliberately fractured. Editor: So, the figures half-hidden, fragmented… it's not just abstract expressionism doing its thing? The whole scene makes me a little anxious, if I'm honest. Is there a sense of loss here? Curator: Possibly. The fragmented figuration and vibrant, almost clashing colors can be seen to echo anxieties around representation, perhaps exploring tensions inherent within female archetypes in art. The aggressive brushstrokes also seem deliberate—pushing the boundaries between abstraction and identifiable form. Note the presence of certain art historical tropes, such as the draped figure which might allude to Renaissance depictions of Venus. Editor: That neo-expressionist vibe comes across strongly! I see it, with its raw emotionality, like shouting through layers of paint. It also echoes graffiti art, an echo of urbanity that resonates for me! Curator: Interesting you should say that; that raw edge is key, I agree. These jagged, gestural marks recall the immediacy of street art. The vulnerability of the nude set against this chaotic backdrop, I feel, makes you think about who are we, really, under all the clothes? Underneath these "flags" of identity. Editor: Exactly! The longer I look, the more I get the feeling these aren't just shapes; these are glimpses of vulnerability. As though secrets are half revealed… It hits hard once you start seeing the implied forms. What lingers with me is this visceral impression: a tension between concealment and display that transcends pure abstraction. Curator: Absolutely, its ability to disturb is also what renders this artwork so potent. Thank you, this was enriching. Editor: Yeah, thinking about what makes me uneasy isn’t always easy, but that’s why art like this sticks with you.