Indivisible Exhibit
In the wake of the tragic events of Sept. 11, 2001, patriotism was in evidence at every turn. American flags waved from homes, vehicles, small businesses and large buildings. Lapel pins featuring the red, white and blue were a common sight. In that spirit, "Indivisible" is a flag made from beverage cans featuring American-made products.
American flag made entirely of recycled soda cans.
Susan Galarza Newman was inspired to wave the flag through a form of art that features familiar American beverage symbols and corporate brands, many of which are recognized and enjoyed worldwide.
Assisting in construction of the flag were members of Susan Galarza Newman's family: her sister Elizabeth Alba, nephews Adrian (16), Kevin (10) and Dustin (4), and niece Veronica (13). The six worked over the course of three weekends to complete the flag.
About the cans
Beverage containers were recycled by Mojave Desert and Mountain (Southern California) consumers during the month of September 2001. Workers at the Victor Valley Materials Recovery Facility sorted through thousands of cans to gather red, white and blue cans for the creation of "Indivisible."
About the wood base
The base which holds the cans is recycled plywood from a contruction project in the High Desert. The piece was salvaged and saved by Susan's late husband, Neal Newman.
About the paint
Some of the paint was salvaged and reclaimed from a family friend, Marla D'Avanzo. The paint was left over from a home decorating project, and its destination changed from a household hazardous waste center to a project in progress.
Facts:
Title of art:
"Indivisible"
Artist
Susan Galarza Newman
Location
Oak Hills, California
Date created
Sept. 2001—Oct. 2001
Medium
Recycled aluminum cans, salvaged paint, salvaged plywood board.
Flag stats
Total of recycled beverage containers used: 136
Beverage container count:
- Red stripes: 55
- White stripes: 48
- Blue union: 28
- Stars: 5
Beverage container brand labels (15)
- Budweiser® 53
- Coca-Cola® 27
- Lipton Iced Tea 26
- Dr. Pepper® 13
- Pepsi (Wild Cherry) 3
- Sams Choice Cola 3
- Safeway Select Dr. Skipper 2
- Pepsi-Cola® 2
- Cherry Coke 1
- Shasta® Cola 1
- Mountain Dew® Code Red 1
- Stater Bros. Cola 1
- Stater Bros. Cherry Cola 1
- Safeway Select Cola 1
- Simply Cola 1
Photo by John Reid
Art donated by Susan Galarza Newman to
Mojave Desert & Mountain Integrated Waste Management JPA,
October 2001.