Proud to be an American? By Emily Pisacreta

           The Museum of Fine Arts has always been my favorite museum. My grandma brought me into Boston to see it as a little kid, and I fell in love with the light blue impressionist room and the dark red room with all the portraits. I am happy to say that my love for the MFA has not waivered in the many years since my first visit. The vast galleries filled with old and new art, never fail to keep me entertained. When I was allowed to wander around the museum I remembered why I love the MFA so much. It keeps all these amazing works of art, but also adds new and exciting exhibits that I have never seen before. One of these exhibits was National Pride (and Prejudice), a piece about what it means to be an American. In this exhibit, which will run until April 12^th, 2015, there is a sculpture by Dave Cole called Bullet Flag VI, which will take a high spot on the ever-growing list of art that I love at the MFA.

            Bullet Flag VI is exactly what it sounds like. Dave Cole took American used bullets to create a grainy, darker image of the American flag. At first I almost walked right by it because at first glimpse it does not look all that exciting. But, lucky for me, I was curious about why the flag looked so dark so I stopped to read the description and realized the deeper meanings and intentions behind this piece. Cole was very specific with his use of bullets and their source. All the bullets in the dark blue part of the flag come from bullets fired on American soil. However, all of the bullets that make up the red and white stripes of the flag were used in international warfare. This idea is very provocative, as it really highlights the darker parts of American history. All Americans feel a sense of pride when we look at the flag. However, this piece reminds us of the price we paid for the freedom and pride. It was certainly a different look at the American Flag, one that is never really seen. It tells us that we should not forget the violent past that shapes the history and present of the US. Even Dave Cole himself said that, “The power in the piece for me is in the contradictions.” On all my trips to the MFA with my grandma, she would always remind me that good art makes you think. That is definitely what Bullet Flag VI did for me. It made me think about American culture and violence both here and overseas, because no matter how you want to interpret that sculpture, there are a lot of bullets in it. A lot of bullets, all fired by Americans.

            Bullet Flag VI, along with the entire National Pride exhibit was a great addition to an already fantastic museum. It, along with its counterparts in the exhibit, was creative and thought-provoking, and they really added to overall excitement of the museum. It does not seem like anything extraordinary or even exciting at first, but upon closer examination it becomes quite an interesting piece to think about. I am glad I gave it the time of day because it started me thinking on topics that I don’t address on a regular basis.

Thanks to ever-changing, exciting exhibits like National Pride and old favorites like the impressionism room, the MFA never loses its charm. I would live in the MFA if I could, and I will tell everyone I know until the day I die to go visit. However, it is a huge museum that you could easily get bored in if art is not totally your thing. So, if spending sometime around some great art sounds appealing to you, I’d say go visit, because you will not regret it.