Images from, left, "Flag International," and, right, "Flag: An American Story"
By Lauri Lyons

A List
1/18/10

'Flag International' At St. Lawrence's Brush Art Gallery

CANTON - An exhibition of Lauri Lyons' photographs from "Flag: An American Story" and the multi-media "Flag International" will be in the Richard F. Brush Art Gallery at St. Lawrence University from January 18 through March 25. Lyons will give a talk about the works on Monday, February 22, at 4:30 p.m. in Carnegie 10. The event is open to the public, free of charge.

From 1995 to 2000, Lyons traveled by train across the United States photographing and interviewing people with the American flag. The project culminated in 2001, with "Flag: An American Story," which, she says, "reveals what is beneath the surface of the American dream by looking beyond statistics and into the minds of ordinary citizens - native-born and naturalized - whose feelings about America not only tell what the country is, but also what it should be."

In 2007, Lyons similarly explored Europe, traveling by train, bus and ferry through eight countries. In each she approached subjects on the street, handing them a notebook to record his or her feelings about America and photographing with an American flag. "People posed however they felt comfortable," Lyons says.

The result, "Flag International," is a multi-media documentary project that incorporates photography, video, audio and handwritten text, which Lyons says "seeks to foster a dialogue about cultural understanding within a global framework. Cultural understanding is not only how a people or a nation views itself, but also how the world views you."

For information or to arrange individual or group tours, contact the gallery at 315-229-5174.

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