À la recherche de l’Amérique profonde : l’art patriotique contemporain et l’idée de communauté nationale

Abstract

In Search for Small-Town America : Patriotic Contemporary Art and the Idea of National Community. Contemporary imagery produced in the United States by popular artists such as John Mc-Naughton, Terry Redlin, and the late Thomas Kinkade, frequently appeals to conservative understandings of what defines the peculiar qualities of America - its history, landscape, way of life, and allegedly favored status in the eyes of divine providence. This article explores the ingredients that make up the image of national belonging in patriotic imagery disseminated by these artists, notably in the wake of the at¬ tack on the Twin Towers in 2001. It suggests that these works are haunted by an incapacity to project a convincing image of a cohesive contemporary national community, and relates this incapacity to the radical individualism promoted by radical right currents within the Republican party and Tea Party movement.