2012 LENSCRATCH Americana Exhibition

2012 LENSCRATCH Americana Exhibition by Aline SmithsonJuly 4, 2012

4th of July is America’s official day to celebrate our amazing country, a country founded on equality, open mindedness, on progress, and possibility. I must admit, I tear up when I think about the waves of immigrants that have found their way to our shores and made our country so much richer, bringing new ideas, new cultures, and new faces. In Los Angeles, we are a melange of Mexican, Armenian, Central American, Korean, European, Japanese, Persian, Chinese, Vietnamese, Afro American, Filipino, East Indian, Eastern European, and a little bit Walt Disney and Cowboy. As I drive across the city, I see signs in languages I don’t speak or understand and I am struck that we are all working towards the same goals. No matter our differences or where we come from, we want the same things in life: peace, health, a future for our children, a place to call home, a job, and the sense that someone acknowledges who we are. So I take this day to say thank you and bravo to a country that, no matter it’s ills and troubles, its politicians or policies, still stands for the rights of the individual and the privilege of expressing our opinions. Thank you for your wonderful submissions and for being part of the LENSCRATCH family. Enjoy the fireworks tonight!

This post will be in three parts (to keep the rss fee from crashing). Many thanks to Cleo Schoeplein for her assistance in compiling the post.

HAPPY 4th of JULY!

Dale DeGabriele, Human Flag, Seattle WA

shared by Christa Blackwood, Michelle and Barack, Washington, 2009
photographer unknown

Jason Thompson, The Barber, Avenue Barber Shop, Austin, TX

Marisa Sciabarrasi, New Hampshire 4th, Dover, NH

Winky Lewis, Harry in the Flag, Portland, ME

Deb Schwedhelm, A Hero’s Return, Tampa, FL

Morgan Hagar, Mr. Cal Cotton, Victorville, CA

Jennifer Hynes, Flags for the Fallen, New York, NY

Beatrice M. Mady, Liberty 1, Liberty Sate Park, Jersey City, New Jersey

Lauren Doran, Mowers, Charlotte, NC

Russ Rowland, At Arm’s Length, Red Hook, NY

Bill Vaccaro, Fireworks Youth, Favil, OK

Bruce Morton, Jesus, Rushville,IL USA

Tom Griscom, Chattanooga, TN, Chattanooga, TN

Ryan Hoffman, Mark Twain Riverboat, Disneyland/Anaheim, CA

Mary Defer, Clothes Line, Hiram, OH

Greg Oakes, Lucky Day, Sanwich, IL

Frank Armstrong, Mt Holly, NJ 1985

Cheryl A Townsend, Man With Patriotic Bike, Stow, Ohio

Derek Zarn, Rays of Hope Between the Storm, Ames, IA

William Dunn, Where Humility and Greatness are Revealed, Canyonlands National Park, Utah

Steven Ward, John Frum Society, Oregon

Adam Williams, The Flag, Denver, Colorado

Leonard Correa, Walk of Honor, Sacramento, CA

Jim Ford, Upstate New York

Betsy Chang, July 4th, 2011, Old Saybrook, CT

Thomas Kittel, Jesus, North Carolina

Nina Weinberg Doran, Route 22, Upstate NY

Leslie J. Yerman, Sun-Drenched Flag, New York City, NY

Lisa Blair, Father and Son at Balloon Fiesta, Albuquerque, NM

Jim Lustenader, Handing Out Flags, Bristol, RI

Stan Banos, Wall St., Wall St., NYC

Charlotte Niel, Please Stay Off the Dinosaur, Exit 303, Hwy 40, AZ

Matthew Hunt, Harry’s Corner, Wildwood, NJ

Walter Beckham, Washington, DC

Tammy Mercure, Untitled 2012, East Dublin, GA

Rhonda Boocock, Soldier’s Return, Chattanooga, Tennessee

Andi Schreiber, Red Glare, Scarsdale, NY

Carol Isaak, Family Values, Taos Reservation, NM

Tommaso Fiscaletti, Untitled NYC #3, New York City, NY

Carolyn Russo, Little Jack, Big Island, Hawaii

Kevin McCollister, Late Night Flag, Los Angeles, CA

Stacie Turner, Civil War Display, West Hartford, CT

Sarah Bilotta, Tis of Thee, Hollis, NH

Valerie Patterson, Spark, Los Angeles, CA

Nicole White, Niagara, Niagara Falls, American side

Dan Porter, tattoo parlour, Swindon UK

Mary Furlong, Leonard Knight’s Salvation Mountain, CA

Tytia Habing, Mushroom Hunting, Watson, IL

Laurie McCormick, Sparkler Boy, Chinatown, CA

Gloria Baker Feinstein, Boy With Flag, Kansas City, Missouri

Martina, TECHNOSEUM, Mannheim, Germany

Thomas Locke Hobbs, Motel 6, Wilcox, AZ

Vicky Stromee, The Rodeo, Tucson, Az

Jeanne Apelseth, Lakota Man, Black Hills, South Dakota

Tom Kidd, Justice for All, Merced, CA

Bruce Martin, July 4,1986, 100th Anniversary of The Statue Of Liberty Ceremony

While on assignment for Contact Press, to cover the make over of the newly refinished “Lady Liberty”. Shot from New Jersey.Who would have ever thought 26 years later that the WTC wouldn’t be there…..that’s what makes this image of “Americana” so special to me.

CONTINUE on to TWO more posts….click on OLDER POSTS to continue

Tags: America