What is Americana ? by Gallery at Studio Burke Ltd, Washington, DC

What Can Be Americana ?

Think Johnny Cash; remember the silkscreen images produced by Andy Warhol; think about prints, iconic images and major figures of America’s film; of America’s music; think about jazz, blues, country, and bluegrass; recall the colorful images of Folk  art; and yes, think about the dessert and know, that all of this and much more can be viewed as an inspiration for the cultural phenomenon that is Americana.

The simple definition would state that Americana describes artworks featuring objects or imagery associated with the United States. More often than not, artists have used Americana less to promote the values of America than as a means for cultural criticism. The star-struck consumerism society was used and appropriated in some of the most celebrated works of art by major Pop artists such as Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, and Jasper Johns. Yet, there is also a different stream, the one that uses this term to suggest a certain way of living, and a certain value system that for some is considered lost.