Thom Ross, "American Flag" 2020

THOM RO S S

September 28 – October 10, 2020 Jackson Hole Opening Reception | October 3 | 2:00–4:00pm

THOM RO S S American Flag

Jackson Hole | Scottsdale | AltamiraArt.com

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Sea of Tranquility Acrylic on canvas | 30 x 40 inches Enquire

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THOM ROSS The genesis for this show began 14 years ago when I read Flag of Our Fathers, a detailed account of the flag raising on Iwo Jima (February 23, 1945). Everyone is familiar with the iconic image (based on a photo taken

by Joe Rosenthal) as six U.S. Marines raised the American flag—for a second time—atop the 556-foot-high Mt. Suribachi (suribachi is the Japanese name for a type of bowl, and the mountain looks like a upside-down bowl).

I was struck not by the visual profundity of Rosenthal’s photo, but rather the accounts of several men fighting at the base of Iwo Jima, down below on the black sand beaches or stationed on ships offshore, unloading cargo to support the assault. Even from afar, the flag raising inspired them—just a speck popping up atop Suribachi. Immediately, I thought of the poem “Excelsior” by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, penned a century earlier; specifically, these stanzas:

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The shades of night were falling fast, As through an Alpine village passed A youth, who bore, ‘mid snow and ice, A banner with the strange device, Excelsior!

His brow was sad; his eye beneath, Flashed like a falchion from its sheath, And like a silver clarion rung The accents of that unknown tongue, Excelsior!

At break of day, as heavenward The pious monks of Saint Bernard Uttered the oft-repeated prayer, A voice cried through the startled air, Excelsior!

Suribachi—takes up only a ½ by ¼ inch patch. If you don’t know what it is you’re supposed to see, you won’t see it. That’s how it would have been in 1945. Everyone is at least familiar with this image of the American flag. Yet, as the title of the painting, American Flag; Suribachi, alludes to, the historic details of its raising eludes most people. Very few recognize where, why or when the flag was raised. To me, this seems like a sad commentary on our collective ignorance.

There in the twilight cold and gray, Lifeless, but beautiful, he lay, And from the sky, serene and far, A voice fell like a falling star, Excelsior!

Reflecting on this most famous flag-raising in American history made me wonder about other instances when the U.S. flag has had a profound effect on social consciousness—when the flag has served as a symbol in singular historic terms.

I began to research situations in which the flag has appeared in different guises and meanings. I made paintings of these seminal scenes, such as Jack Johnson, the first black heavyweight champion of the world, a crown he earned by defeating Jim “Great White Hope” Jeffries on the Fourth of July, 1910 in Reno, Nevada. Johnson wore an American flag around his waist as a belt.

Excelsior, translated from Latin as “ever upward,” encapsulates that moment when, as in the poem, others bore witness to a symbol rising. The resulting painting measures 72 by 72 inches, and yet the subject of the painting—the flag above

I am a historian/storyteller first, an artist second; I use the art to tell the story. I feel like if you have a painting like Suribachi on your wall, someone is bound to ask about it, and then the owner of the painting can tell the story. That is how the story lives on.

A traveler, by the faithful hound, Half-buried in the snow was found, Still grasping in his hand of ice That banner with the strange device, Excelsior!

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Burial at Sea Acrylic on canvas | 60 x 52 inches Enquire

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Centennial Visitor Acrylic on canvas | 48 x 30 inches Enquire

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In June, 1976, I drove to the Custer Battlefield National Monument to celebrate the 100th anniversary of this famous fight. I was with two other friends and we met two other guys that were there for this event, too. The anniversary date was June 25, but on the 24th a large contingent of AIM (American Indian Movement) entered the park led by Russell Means.

Walking alongside him were two other Indians holding an American flag upside down. Means entered the parking area where everyone was seated in chairs and several speakers were standing on a platform. Means walked up to the microphone and explained that the upside down flag was not meant as an insult but, rather, a flag seen upside down is the universal symbol of “distress”.....Means went on the say that the Red man was in distress in America.

The next day one of these AIM guys was seen dancing around the monument that had been erected to the memory of those who fought and died with the 7th cavalry. There was no misunderstanding of these actions and although tensions ran high (making my experience there a life-altering event) there were no ugly incidents.

The “Centennial Visitor” as seen in this photo taken by Clifford Mealy when we were at the centennial celebration of the Battle of the Little Bighorn in June, 1976. You can see him dancing around the monument dedicated to the men of the 7th cavalry who were killed that day (June 25, 1876) in what is known today as “Custer’s Last Stand”.

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Lawmen’s Walk Oil on canvas | 48 x 60 inches Enquire

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Jack Johnson Acrylic on canvas | 36 x 36 inches Enquire

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Jack Johnson (1878 - 1946) was one of the greatest boxers of all time and when he defeated Jim Jeffries in a 13-round decision in Reno, Nevada, on July 4, 1910, Johnson became the first black Heavyweight Champion of the World. When word of his victory made the news, race riots broke our across America and many people were injured and a few were killed. Johnson would hold his title until he was defeated by Jess Willard in April, 1915.

The play, and subsequent movie, “The Great White Hope”, was based on Johnson’s story. In 2005 Ken Burns made a two-part documentary on him called “Unforgivable Blackness; The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson”.

I have many books dealing with Johnson and in several photos of him you can see the American flag wrapped around his waist.

Johnson - Jeffries Fight. July 4, 1910. Reno, Nevada. You can see the American flag wrapped as a belt around Jack Johnson’s waist as he moves in towards a very worried Jim Jeffries, the famous “Great White Hope”.

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Rick Monday Acrylic on canvas | 36 x 36 inches Enquire

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Suribachi Acrylic on canvas | 48 x 48 inches Enquire

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Mt. Suribachi (named for it’s resemblance to a Japanese grinding bowl) is a volcanic cinder cone. The lava which flowed from it created the volcanic island of Iwo Jima and it was from the summit of Suribachi that the 28th Marines raised the American flag on Feb. 23, 1945. Although the battle for Iwo Jima would rage for another 3 weeks, it was this flag-raising, captured in a. photograph by Joe Rosenthal, that became one of the most iconic images of the war. note: there were two flag raising that day, the first one used a smaller flag. It was this second flag raising using a larger flag that was carpeted

by Rosenthal’s camera. Within weeks three of the flag-raisers were killed during the struggle for the island. The other three were sent home as heroes to promote selling water bonds to finance the war.

Most interpretations of the flag raising show the men raising the flag; but in his book, “Flag of Our Fathers”, James Bradley wrote about the this event was also seen by the men fighting on the black volcanic beaches below as well as the Navy men out at sea. I found this vision much more powerful as so did this painting and, to be honest, the flag would have appeared even smaller than I have shown it here! I was not so much concerned with the actual raising of the flag but, rather, how that teeny tiny flag radiate such power to American fighting men both on the island and out at sea.

Joe Rosenthal’s famous photograph of the second raising of the American flag atop Mt. Suribachi.

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Winter, Moonlight, Billy Oil on canvas | 48 x 60 inches Enquire

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172 Center Street | Jackson Hole Wyoming AltamiraArt.com | 307-739-4700

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