CORY REYNOLDS | DATE 11/6/2010

Something Resembling Truth

Today, at last, the AP has projected that Joe Biden will be the next President of the United States. And Kamala Harris, the next Vice President. Even as we rejoice, we know that their jobs will be monumental beyond conception—not only in terms of ending the pandemic and repairing the economy, but in the all-important imperative to bring the country together after four years of excruciating political and social estrangement. We want this. We want to respect and trust our fellow Americans, our leaders, and all branches of government—even as we retain our right to question and to protest peacefully. On this decisive and highly-charged day, it is a pleasure to feature Jasper Johns's "Flag on an Orange Field II"—a painting that looks as fresh today as it did when it was completed in 1958. "One hopes for something resembling truth," Johns said in 2006, "some sense of life, even of grace, to flicker, at least, in the work."