I made this artwork on a hard-shell backpack in 2014 for a private client who wanted something unique and outstanding for his bikers’ group to attend July 4th celebrations. I created the original design that has been reproduced for the rest of the crew. This is the case where tradition wins over every other style consideration: there must be a flag, the flag must be visible from the distance, the colors to be used are well known. Transferring the Star-Spangled Banner as it is on the backpack didn’t seem a very challenging project though so I tried my best to make it a bit original in the respect of the tradition. It sounds like an oxymoron -something new following the tradition- and it probably is but in the end the project was all about balancing, I started from a strong traditional foundation and added a little art to create my own layout, enough styling to make it outstanding from the rest of the crowd but not too much to upset the bikers. You never want to deal with irritated bikers.