Michael Owen

This painting is part of a series I made while investigating the culture of so-called “Survivalists,” or “Doomsday Preppers”-people who are preparing for an imminent collapse of civilization and are storing food, water, and weapons.

I found many of the water-storage containers and much of the “gear” appealing, with their look of toughness and bright Day-Glo colors. While painting this hose, I noticed that it resembled the Gadsden flag from the time of the American Revolution. The flag and its motto, “Don’t Tread on Me,” have been appropriated by some on the American political right, including many “preppers,” so I used the motto as the title for the painting. -Michael Owen

Coiled like a snake ready to strike, an ordinary green garden hose floats in a bright white empty field. The title of the painting, Don’t Tread on Me, refers to Revolutionary-era American patriotism, borrowing the motto of the colonists against British rule. That phrase appeared on the Gadsden flag - which depicts a coiled rattlesnake - the first American flag carried by the Continental Marines during the Revolutionary War, symbolic of the U.S. colonies, and adopted by the Tea Party in 2009. This painting belongs to the artist’s “survivalist series,” in which he paints commonplace household items - including batteries, life vests, and water storage systems - that have been stockpiled by post-9/11 American survivalists. By associating the mundane hose with a potent symbol, Owen alludes to current political issues with a sense of humor and irony.