Title: Tik Tok America
Year Completed: 2021/22
Size: 85"x60"
Technical: Acrylics on unstretched canvas

My Spangled Banners, the United States of my Heart, is a thirteen-flag series that reflects on the concept of patriotism and what it means to be American. Born in the controversial 2020 presi-dential election times, the flags reflect on the American past, American political and societal divisions, and American fears and common points. The three flags chosen for Incubo D'Artista explore the themes of fear during the Covid pandemic, fear of the nation dumbing down in a staccato Tik Tok dance, and fear of alienation as AI technology, drones and video games take over society. Dabbing dancing figures, fists and shakas, memes and cartoons have invaded America since Tik Tok took over social media. The Tik Tok logo, looming like a communist ham-mer, has replaced the stars on the banner. Shifting our youth focus from deep thinking to shal-low choreographies and memes, Tik Tok has been accused of dumbing down our society, while invading our privacy and giving China access to all our database. This flag is a witness to this phenomenon, less viral now, where groups of teenagers copy ten-seconds footsteps and get lost in narcissistic duck-face selfies.