Jasper Johns returned to symbols, like flags, continuously over decades. Like contemporary artist Carla Edwards (whose work Bonfire is on view nearby) , Johns used the US flag as both a subject and material. Here, he adhered a flag to the canvas and layered pigment mixed with wax over the surface. This mixture both thickened and emphasized each brushstroke used to paint Flag. Johns claims that his work is not a nationalistic commentary but a study of painting itself.