The flag symbolizes all that is good and right about this country. However, the policies pursued by our government often result in obstacles that undermine those values. I see those black objects in the foreground, blocking the flow of the flag, as symbols of those obstacles. However, the fire escape offers some hope that we can escape the damage done, both at home and abroad, and realize, once again, those values that made this country great. To me, this is an image of sadness and hope. Perhaps it's an omen that 2008 will be about change!!!
We each interpret this same flag, flying from a horizontal flagpole, in different ways. Your image builds upon a foreground layer of barriers that could symbolize the crazy-quilt structure of our country. Somehow we manage to fit together, yet the various pieces of our nation are often at odds with each other. I concentrated on a symbolic tear in the fabric of the very same flag in my own image (http://www.pbase.com/pnd1/image/80832320 ) The fire escape in my image functions as context, but in yours, it offers dual subject matter when juxtaposed on top of the flag. Our pictures were made one day apart -- the early morning sky was filled with clouds in my image, which gave it a foreboding mood. The sky is clear here, and while your image is filled with obstacles, the nation still seems to flourish.
