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Recoloration Proclamation by John Sims

Last modified: 2022-04-02 by rob raeside
Keywords: flag art |
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Introduction
Flags
Sources

See also:

Introduction

"Recoloration Proclamation'' is the project by African-American multimedia artist John Sims. It was started in 2000 [1] by repainting the battle flag of the Confederate States of America into the Garvey colors, soon to be followed by similar repainting of other Confederate flags and repainting some of them into other color sets, as well as various repaintings of some flags of other countries which Sims found closely related to present-day American political situation - most notably, Israel, a 1998 trip to that country having provided much of initial inspiration not only for repainting of that country's flag but also to the "Recoloration Proclamation" as a whole [2]. Several other projects by Sims are considered parts of the "Recoloration Proclamation", the flag-related ones being the 2004 installation named "The Proper Way to Hang a Confederate Flag" [1, 2, 3], where a Confederate flag was hanging from the gallows, and "Burn and Bury", a 2015 campaign of ritualistic burnings of the Confederate flag which would turn into a yearly event, taking place on the Memorial Day [1, 4]. The flags also made part, although not central, of "The Wedding", the 2016 performance which completed the "Recoloration Proclamation", when the artist officiated a mock same-sex wedding of one Confederate and one Union soldiers, each carrying their respective flags [5, 6].
Tomislav Todorovic, 15 February 2022

Flags

Afro Battle Flag

image by Tomislav Todorovic, 15 February 2022

The first of the flags to have been created was the Afro Battle Flag, sometimes called the AfroConfederate Flag. The design had first appeared on the bumper stickers in 1999 [1] and the flag itself was made in 2000 [1, 7]. There, the red field of the Confederate battle flag has remained unchanged, the saltire and the flag border were repainted into black and the stars and the fimbriations of the saltire were changed into black; also, the stars orientation varies: the one in center is upright, while those in bend arms of the saltire point towards the top hoist corner of the flag and those in the bend sinister arms, towards the top fly corner [1, 7, 8, 9, 10].
Tomislav Todorovic, 15 February 2022

image by Tomislav Todorovic, 15 February 2022

Another version of the flag was exhibited in 2006, with the saltire in green and the stars and saltire borders in black, and no border along the edges [2]. This suggests that Sims was not seeing the original design as a completed work. Another proof for this is that for some time after "The Proper Way to Hang a Confederate Flag" had been presented, the exhibitions have included a voting booth for the visitors to choose between six versions of differently recolored Confederate battle flags, all of which have had all stars upright and the flag border was not omitted from them; none of those recolorations was identical with either of the flags described above, though [9]. Also, at a 2011 presentation of the "Recoloration Proclamation" in Harlem, NYC [11], a design was presented which was similar to the flag from 2006, but with a black border all around and all stars upright; such a flag seems to have never been produced either. It shall be noted that 2006 is just the date when the flag was viewed, while the date of creation, which still remains unknown, might differ.
Tomislav Todorovic, 15 February 2022

Afro First National Flag

image by Tomislav Todorovic, 15 February 2022

Created in 2002 [7], this flag combines the design of the First National Flag of the CSA with the Garvey colors [7, 8, 10]. The repainting was done in a non-uniform way again: a black-red-black triband with a green canton, bearing seven black stars which point away from the center of the circle they form. The ratio was 2:3 [7].
Tomislav Todorovic, 15 February 2022

Afro Second National Flag

image by Tomislav Todorovic, 15 February 2022

This flag was also created in 2002 [7]. Here, the repainting of the Second National Flag of the CSA into the Garvey colors was done in a uniform way: white was replaced with black, blue with green, while red was left unchanged [7, 8, 10]. Regarding the stars' orientation, it is hard to tell because they are either hardly discernible [7] or not discernible at all in the available sources [8, 10], still the zooming of the available images suggests that they were oriented just like they were in the Afro Battle Flag. The ratio was 2:3 again [7].
Tomislav Todorovic, 15 February 2022

Afro Third National Flag

image by Tomislav Todorovic, 15 February 2022

While there is no creation date of this flag given in the available sources, it may be assumed that it was created in 2002 as well, because it clearly makes a set with the previously described two, being a repainted version of the Third National Flag of the CSA. Also, the ratio and orientation of the stars are impossible to tell in the available sources [8, 10], but may be assumed to be the same as in the Afro Second National Flag. The repainting into the Garvey colors was done here in the same way as in that flag, while the canton was visibly smaller here [8, 10].
Tomislav Todorovic, 15 February 2022

Black, Red and Green Rebel Flag

image by Tomislav Todorovic, 15 February 2022

Created in 2000 [7], this flag is a redo of the CSA naval jack, or of the Confederate flag as it is currently merchandised: ratio of 2:3, recolored as the Afro Second and Third National Flags, with all stars upright [7, 8, 10, 12].
Tomislav Todorovic, 15 February 2022

XXX

image by Tomislav Todorovic, 15 February 2022

image by Tomislav Todorovic, 15 February 2022

image by Tomislav Todorovic, 15 February 2022

This name denotes a set of three flags created in 2001, all of them being repainted versions of the Confederate flag with the ratio of 2:3 and arranged so that the one on which blue and red are both replaced with black (white is unchanged) be placed between an all-black and an all-white flag [7, 12]. On the latter two, the edges of charges were created by heavy stitches [7, 8, 12]. On the black and white flag, the stars' orientation varied in the same way as on the Afro Battle Flag [7, 12] and the same can be verified for the all-black flag [8], so the same may be safely assumed for the all-white flag as well.
Tomislav Todorovic, 15 February 2022

image by Tomislav Todorovic, 15 February 2022

image by Tomislav Todorovic, 15 February 2022

The all-black flag from the set described above was also the part of another similar set, in which it was combined with an all-red and an all-green flag, on which the charges were made discernible in the same way [8, 10]. Currently there is no information on when it was created.
Tomislav Todorovic, 15 February 2022

Floridian Rebel Flag

image by Tomislav Todorovic, 15 February 2022

The flag was created in 2002 as part of the installation named "ReVote", which combined it with the voting booths used in the 2000 presidential election in Florida [3, 7, 13, 14], making a representation of the artist's view of the controversies surrounding the event. Here, red and blue of the Confederate flag with the ratio 2:3 were replaced with orange and green, respectively, while the stars' orientations were the same as on the Afro Battle Flag [7]. The flag was also used independently from the installation, hanging at the entrance to the exhibition, e.g., in Gettysburg on 2004-09-03 [13, 14, 15].
Tomislav Todorovic, 15 February 2022

Drag Flag

Created in 2004 and first presented in Gettysburg in September that year [5], this flag replaces blue and red with lavender and pink, respectively, while the saltire fimbriations are covered with white material resembling fur or feathers, much like the "feather boas" frequently worn by drag queens, and the stars are made of glittering silvery fabric [2, 5, 13, 14]. There seem to have been two copies of the flag at the original exhibition [13, 14]. The "drag" design was probably the one considered the most provoking and most "desecrating" to the Confederate flag, although the designs in Garvey colors were found not much less such [5, 16].

[No image created for this one - it seems impossible to reproduce it like the other flags.]
Tomislav Todorovic, 15 February 2022

A possible flag related to "The Wedding"

Beside the USA and Confederate flags carried by the "soldiers" at the "wedding" [6], there may have been another flag related to the event, bearing 13 hearts in pink upon a narrow saltire in very light shade of the same color, all on white field. However, the only photo currently known [5] does not show it in use as a flag, but hanging on the wall, between two all-red wedding bouquets (possibly worn by the soldiers during the "ceremony") and covered with a long, white, transparent "veil" which extends down to the floor and upon it, the floor portion also bearing the flowers arranged in a pattern resembling the Confederate battle flag. While this is clearly a complete installation, no source was found which would refer to its centerpiece as a flag, so the exact nature of the object remains open for further research.

[No image created for this one until it can be determined if it is really a flag.]
Tomislav Todorovic, 15 February 2022

Palestinian/Israeli Flag

image by Tomislav Todorovic, 16 February 2022

Created in 2002 [7], this flag was inspired by Sims' experiences from his 1998 trip to Israel [2]. The repainting of Israeli national flag was done by keeping the field white, while the Shield of David was turned into red and the top and bottom stripes were made black and green, respectively - color set of the Palestinian flag [2, 7, 12, 16]. After the repainted Confederate flag, this one was probably considered the most provoking and "desecrating" [16], in line with the American far-rightist stance on Israel. It is interesting to note that nearly identical flags have appeared in Israel in 2018 and 2020 (see il!ufe.html) although those have kept the ratio of Israeli national flag, while that of the one made by Sims was 2:3 [7]. Most likely, the flags from Israel were created independently from Sims' creation, especially considering the time interval between them, although the connection cannot be completely excluded without detailed research.

This flag was also combined with an installation named "Two Red Flags", in which two plain red flags (ratio 2:3 as well) were hoisted vertically, the distance between them allowing the Palestinian/Israeli Flag to be viewed on a wall farther behind.
Tomislav Todorovic, 16 February 2022

Amerika Uber Alles

image by Tomislav Todorovic, 16 February 2022

Under this name, a set of three flags was created in 2002 as a comment by Sims on contemporary foreign policy of the USA: flags of Iraq (the then version, used 1991-2004), Israel and China were repainted into the colors of USA national flag, using the same shades as found upon it [7].

On the Iraqi flag, black field was repainted into dark blue and green stars and inscriptions were repainted into an even darker shade of the same color [7]. This particular flag also seems to have been exhibited separately from the other two [2] and might have actually been the one to have initiated this project, for the author used to speak about it without mentioning the other two [12].
Tomislav Todorovic, 16 February 2022

image by Tomislav Todorovic, 16 February 2022

On the Chinese flag, the field was made white, while the large star was repainted into blue and small stars into red [7].
Tomislav Todorovic, 16 February 2022

image by Tomislav Todorovic, 16 February 2022

On Israeli flag, the stripes were repainted into red, the rest of the flag having remained unchanged [7].
Tomislav Todorovic, 16 February 2022

McChina Flag

image by Tomislav Todorovic, 16 February 2022

Creation date of this flag is not currently known, but it has been made by 2006, when it was exhibited together with other recolored flags [2]. The flag is not actually recolored, because the colors of Chinese national flag have been left unchanged, but the stars were all replaced with the copies, one large and four small, of McDonald's Golden Arches logo thus making a visual comment on the changes through which China has been passing.
Tomislav Todorovic, 16 February 2022

Sources

[1] Sarasota Magazine website:
https://www.sarasotamagazine.com/arts-and-entertainment/2020/08/ringling-museum-welcomes-sarasota-artist-john-sims-in-new-residence-program

[2] BOMB Magazine website:
https://bombmagazine.org/articles/john-sims/

[3] "The Proper Way to Hang a Confederate Flag" at Wikipedia:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Proper_Way_to_Hang_a_Confederate_Flag

[4] Hyperallergic website:
https://hyperallergic.com/382156/on-memorial-day-an-artist-burns-and-buries-a-confederate-flag/

[5] Huffington Post website:
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/john-sims-/the-wedding-a-civil-reuni_b_10347152.html

[6] CNN website:
https://edition.cnn.com/2017/08/11/opinions/black-america-confederate-rebel-zombie-sims-opinion/index.html

[7] John Sims' website - Presentation of the "Recoloration Proclamation" flags (no longer accessible since Adobe Flash had been discontinued):
http://www.johnsimsprojects.com/flagsnew/

[8] John Sims' website - Slideshow presentation of the "Recoloration Proclamation" project:
http://johnsimsprojects.com/recoloration/

[9] Guernica magazine website:
https://www.guernicamag.com/john-sims-celebrating-pi-day-with-math-and-art/

[10] Creative Pinellas website:
https://creativepinellas.org/magazine-items/the-world-according-to-john-sims/

[11] Flickr - Photo of John Sims presenting the "Recoloration Proclamation" in Harlem Stage arts center, on 2011-02-16:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/harlemstage/5488919423/

[12] NBC News website:
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/nbcblk/artist-turns-confederate-flag-symbol-creative-resistance-n380301

[13] Asheville Tribune magazine website:
http://www.ashevilletribune.com/archives/Gettysburg.htm

[14] Newswise website:
https://www.newswise.com/articles/artist-to-lynch-confederate-flag-at-gettysburg-college

[15] John Sims at YouTube - Exhibition at Gettysburg College on 2004-09-03 (Floridian Rebel Flag visible @0:49-0:53 and @1:41-1:48):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LTIavm32-KU&t=60s

[16] Gettysburg Boycott website:
http://gettysburgboycott.tripod.com/

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