David Hurn: New York and the American Flag (Standard Edition) – PRE ORDER

The photographs in this new book span more than 50-years and depict the ubiquitous symbol of the American flag as encountered on the streets of New York. The previously unpublished photographs by David Hurn were taken across three visits to the US in 1962, 2007 and 2017 and show the potent symbol of American identity both revered and reduced to the mundane.Though rooted in Wales, David Hurn has long been drawn to America, returning to the states frequently over the years. In these three journeys to New York, he was compelled to photograph the American Flag—hanging from mirrors, taped in shop windows, painted onto walls, worn on clothes and hats, carried in marches, flying high from buildings, printed huge on the side of a bus or miniature versions clutched in hands. Working in both black and white then later in colour, he records the flag as it appears incidentally within the flow of daily life rather than isolating it as an object of respect or critique. Sometimes it is prominent, sometimes peripheral; at times it appears proud, at others worn, commercialised, or ambiguous.