Following the rise of the 2020 Black Lives Matter movement, June Edmonds frequently reflected on how, in her words, “what is not talked about doesn’t exist.” In Innocence, she explores this idea by manipulating the distinctive design of the Confederate flag. Rows and stripes of subtle pinks, peaches, tans, and whites make up the background, and two corner-to-corner bands of various light blues compose the foreground X. The painting’s complex, layered pastel patterning renders the familiar symbol unrecognizable, disrupting its historical associations and ideological power. As part of her Flag Paintings series, Edmunds constructs customized “American” flags, observing the traditional ideas, beliefs, and promises associated with the flags, while demonstrating their malleability through color changes and adjustments in composition.

- Kailyn Harris