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Michael Owen

Don't Tread on Me, 2011

Description

Maker

  • Michael Owen, b. 1967, American, (RISD BFA 1990, Painting)

Title

Don't Tread on Me

Year

2011

Medium

Oil on PVC panel

Materials/Techniques

Materials

  • oil paint

Techniques

  • painting

Supports

  • PVC

Dimensions

48.3 x 55.9 x 2.5 cm (19 x 22 x 1 inches)

Type

  • Paintings

Credit

Gift of Joseph A. Chazan, MD

Object Number

2011.103

Exhibition History

Exhibition History

The Phantom of Liberty

May 4 - December 30, 2018

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

Everyday Things

April 13, 2012 - February 24, 2013

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.

Use

The images on this website can enable discovery and collaboration and support new scholarship, and we encourage their use. This object is in Copyright. This object is Don't Tread on Me with the accession number of 2011.103. To request high-resolution files or new photography, please send an email to imagerequest@risd.edu and include your name and the object's accession number.

Feedback

We view our online collection as a living documents, and our records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you have additional information or have spotted an error, please send feedback to curatorial@risd.edu.

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