6. Custard’s Last Stand 1968

Editor: Warrington Colescott's "6. Custard's Last Stand" depicts a chaotic battle scene with a surreal Mount Rushmore looming in the background. The composition feels both historical and absurd. What symbols stand out to you? Curator: The presence of Mount Rushmore certainly anchors the piece in American historical memory, doesn't it? But it's a distorted, almost volcanic presence. The symbolic weight of national identity is literally erupting, overshadowed by the violence. Editor: So, you're seeing a critique of American exceptionalism? Curator: Precisely. Colescott seems to be questioning the narrative of progress and manifest destiny, revealing the brutal realities underneath. The fallen soldiers, contrasted with the looming monument, speaks volumes. Editor: I hadn't considered the monument's role as a symbol of potentially destructive national myth-making. Thanks!