The Aurora's Rising
Some poorly digested, incoherent thoughts on our national natal day.
This painting occurred was while I was listening to “Fourth of July, Asbury Park.” Sometimes, when I fall into a groove while painting and I happen to be listening to a particular song, I hate to break the spell, so I keep playing the same song over and over. The neighbors must love me. At the time I was thinking of the Jersey Shore and horizontal lines made me think of the shadows of adolescent boys across the sand. Later, I realized that it sort of resembled an American flag, so a made the white a little whiter.
It makes me think of the plastic nature of the word freedom. It’s related to Independence, but they’re not the same. Albion’s Seed is indispensable reading for understanding American culture. In it the author gives four different notions of freedom. I think he pushes the symmetry a bit, but still, it’s really enlightening if you’ve ever listened to one of your fellow Americans talking about what this country represents and wondering if you are even from the same planet.
That said, I think one of the important things to remember is that to defend your own freedom is nothing compared to defending your neighbor’s freedoms. You have no freedom of speech unless the people with whom you disagree also have freedom of speech. You have no freedom of conscience unless everyone has freedom conscience.
I hope everyone’s having a happy Fourth of July. Now I’m headed out to go watch the fireworks with, approriately enough, a historian.
