Few symbols have appeared in front of the camera more than the American flag. Across fashion, documentary photography, and editorial imagery, it has been reinterpreted countless times, sometimes as backdrop, sometimes as costume, sometimes as the whole point of the shot.

A Symbol That Keeps Changing Shape

In fashion photography, the flag becomes fabric. Nathaniel Goldberg shot it as a literal wardrobe piece for an "American Beauty" editorial, denim and stars-and-stripes styled together into something closer to a costume than a national symbol. Mark Borthwick and Satoshi Saikusa both found their own versions of that same idea, using the flag's colors and pattern as a starting point for image-making rather than a statement.

The Documentary Tradition

Robert Frank shot the flag more than once, and his images sit closer to observation than styling, the flag as something Americans actually live around rather than pose with. Bruce Weber and Eric Kvatek work in that same tradition, treating the flag as part of the built and social landscape instead of a prop.

The Editorial Eye

Hedi Slimane closes out the archive with a photo that treats the flag the way he treats most subjects: stripped down, high-contrast, and precise. It's a reminder that even the most photographed symbol in the country can still look different depending on who's behind the camera.

Happy Fourth of July.

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