In the opening of our Visual Communications textbook, I was struck by the ways in which images can connect and impact our collective memory. We form emotional attachments to items we see. The textbook reads, “The content of the new and old images constantly bounces back and forth in our minds so that we learn from them.”

 

When I thought of red as a heuristic phenomenon in this context, I ultimately settled on the color’s portion of the American flag. As far as visual imagery goes, Old Glory is the key symbol of the American dream. However, red is just one color of the trio that comprises the flag. Without white and blue, the symbol and all it represents breaks down. 

 

This video captures the brokenness of the American dream in Greenville. Just the red, no white or blue.