Tattered: Investigation of an American Icon

• Prize
  Honorable Mention
• Photographer
  Seth Butler, United States
• Website
  https://sethbutler.com

From Ground Zero to Iwo Jima to the lunar surface, the American flag stands as the most ubiquitous, evocative, and complex symbol of America’s self–image.

Tattered is a documentary photography essay investigating the desecration and misuse of the American flag in the context of the United States Flag Code.

In a country so renowned, it has become curious how we treat this famous flag — so emblematic of our pride and patriotism — with such gross neglect.

If we are searching for who we are, America, we may find no better point of focus than our own Stars and Stripes.

BRIEF BIO

Seth Butler is an award-winning Vermont photographer working in the traditions of documentary photography, photojournalism & fine art who specializes in creative visual storytelling & nonfiction reportage. He received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree with honors from Montserrat College of Art in 2002.

Seth’s photography is published in numerous periodicals internationally. His Vermont reportage for The White River Valley Herald was recently recognized with an award for feature photography from the Vermont Press Association.

Awards Selected Awards

2017 Vermont Press Association First Place Feature Photography, Non-Daily, Juried

2016 International Photography Awards Family of Man Honorable Mention, Juried

2005 NPPA Best of Photojournalism, Second Place News Picture Story, Web Editing [Group Project]

2003 Photography Now Runner Up, Juried by Kathy Ryan of The New York Times

2002 Montserrat College of Art, Photography Merit Award

2001 Montserrat College of Art, Viterbo, Italy Program Scholarship

1997 Upper Valley Charitable Foundation, Scholarship