Red Flag Oil and acrylic on board  20 x 26 inches  2004

A red flag is a common expression for something that sticks out like a sore thumb and calls attention to itself. It is frequently used in a pejorative sense to describe an area of danger. For instance, if a young doe hides from predators in the woods by using the natural camouflage of her coloring that blends into the patterns of the leaves around her and then decides to paint her toenails a bright pink, her mother might say, "I just don't see why that child wants to red flag herself!" Thus in the painting, Red Flag, within haunting space, glowing color and elegantly simple form, Bernal takes the straight- forward act of semaphore communication to a new level of irony.