V — The Whole World Is Watching V

Distress

Distress is the fifth and largest painting in the series. Here, the focus widens toward America itself. The American imagery is deliberately wrong — backwards, upside down and unsettled. For Essebes, it reflects a country that cannot seem to get itself straight while everyone watches events unfold. The upside-down flag becomes a signal of distress. How can we all be watching this unfold, and still nothing happens?