In celebration of the Park’s 40th Anniversary, Socrates Sculpture Park presents a reconstruction of Flying Flag Flying (1995), a work by alumnus artist John Morse originally created for Pop Up, a summer exhibition at Socrates.
The project emerged through recent archival research supported by the Mellon Foundation, which has helped uncover overlooked histories from the Park’s first decades. Among these discoveries was Morse’s practice, much of which was never fully documented due to the ephemeral nature of the flag-based works he exhibited at Socrates in the 1990s. Following the artist’s passing in 2025, the Park worked with his partner to reproduce Flying Flag Flying as part of Homecoming, a series of projects inviting alumni artists back into the life of the Park during its 40th anniversary year.
Originally installed at Socrates in 1995, Flying Flag Flying transforms a familiar image into a perceptual puzzle. An American flag waving in the wind, printed on both sides, is flown above the Park’s entrance. As the fabric moves, painted folds and real folds become nearly indistinguishable, collapsing the distinction between image and object, illusion and reality.