Acrylic painting and colored pencil on 18” x 24” canvas, part of the “Hold Me Close” exhibition hosted by SF Ocean Ave (details)

In many American public schools, starting as early as Kindergarten, kids are forced to recite the Pledge of Allegiance and stand in regimented rows to make themselves easier to manage. Conformity is praised and rewarded greatly from a young age, from line leaders to student council. The figures in this scene are being subject to a standing order, maintaining a sense of uniformity with subtle visual cues of independence in their hair and accessories. The crossed fingers represent a silent signal for those standing behind them to question and unlearn what we accept from institutional agendas, while keeping a steady and careful eye ahead, on those in power. 

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