On the Silent Wings of Freedom

On the Silent Wings of Freedom
paper mache US Constitution, acrylic paint, GAC, confetti
26"x18"x2"

Notes from the Artist:
This piece, titled after a song by Yes, is the key part of my Constitution Fairy costume for Halloween 2008. I began with a children's pair of fairy wings, mached pages from a pocket-sized copy of the United States Constitution (complete with fun facts, key supreme court cases, the Declaration of Independence, and even the Articles of Confederation). Once that had dried, it was time for paint and stars. When I was finished I was so impressed with myself that I decided this had to be art.

As with much of the rest of my work, this piece has a political and cultural significance. The United States Constitution is only the most important document in the history of Western Society. Turning the document into wings symbolizes the freedom that is really granted to those of us protected by it.

But turning it into the wings of a fantasy creature is really more a statement about the abuses of the Constitution over the past 8 years. Our founding documents have been ignored, shredded, distorted, and turned to flights of fancy by men who care nothing of its importance let alone its secular sacredness.

I can only hope that the next 8 years are better for these wings. Our country desperately needs to be able to fly again.