The Pursuit of Happiness

HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY!

In 2000 I made this card and sold it to benefit the American Friends Service Committee. It was inspired by my desire for peace, and by the Peaceable Kingdom paintings of Edward Hicks. I also made a series of cards celebrating the bill of rights which I sold to benefit the ACLU. When I painted them I read the constitution and the bill of rights and I was surprised at how unfamiliar the words were to me.  So today I offer you those images and words in honor of flag and country.

The Pursuit of Happiness

We hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness – that to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.

The First Amendment

The First Amendment: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof, or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

The Fourth Amendment

The Fourth Amendment: The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers and effects against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probably cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the person or things to be seized.

The Sixth Amendment

The Sixth Amendment: In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the State and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by the law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witness against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the Assistance of Counsel for his defence.

These images came to the attention of Patti VanTuyl at the National Endowment for the Humanities and over the next few years I painted some posters for an NEH program called the We the People Bookshelf.

In 2008 the NEH bookshelf celebrated the idea that all men are created equal. I took that to mean men and women, black and white, apples and oranges.

In 2009 the theme was A More Perfect Union. The NEH sought to promote reflection on the idea of the United States as a union. In what ways is America a One as well as a Many? I used cake as a metaphor. All of the states as of 1861 are part of the cake.

The United Cake of America

I hope you have a good Fourth of July celebration. I hope you take some time to ponder what America is and what about it you want to celebrate, or to work to change. And I hope you have delicious food tomorrow. Here’s to the Red, White and Blueberries!