Untitled ("Good Morning, Flag") 1971

Curator: Donald Blumberg's "Untitled (Good Morning, Flag)" depicts a classroom of children pledging allegiance. The photograph captures a very specific cultural ritual. Editor: The composition feels intentionally grainy, like a newsprint image, emphasizing the immediacy. It certainly evokes a feeling of solemnity but also something unsettling. Curator: The flag, of course, is a potent symbol, laden with meanings that shift over time. Here, it represents national identity, indoctrination perhaps, and childhood innocence. Editor: Formally, I notice the contrast between the crisp flag and the blurred faces. It creates a visual tension, pulling the eye between the symbol and the individuals. Curator: The children’s faces, though, each unique, carry a weight of expectation—the shaping of future citizens. It speaks to cultural memory and the perpetuation of national narratives. Editor: Yes, and the monochrome palette contributes to this sense of historical gravity. It almost feels like a document, an artifact of a bygone era. Curator: It makes you consider the symbolic weight we place on objects and rituals, and how they shape our understanding of belonging. Editor: Precisely. A simple image, yet formally dense and conceptually rich.