Posted on Thursday, September 6, 2012 by Allison Byers
People often stop to stare at the American flag displayed in the Nancy Hoffman Gallery in New York City. With its vibrant red, white and blue circles, the flag itself is a showstopper, but it isn’t until onlookers step closer that they discover the stars and stripe were created using 1,443 birth control pills.
Part of Oakland artist Michele Pred’s new series on reproductive rights, the flag, like her other works, uses unconventional materials to encourage people to react and comment on a variety of contemporary social issues. An East Bay native and mother of a 3-year-old daughter, Pred has created hundreds of distinctive art pieces that have been shown throughout the world.