Flag Friday is a periodic discussion of the world's national flags; the project is explained and indexed here.
These discussions are about graphic design, and perhaps about nationalism and national symbolism in general. They should not be taken as critical of the countries, ideals, cultures, or people that the flags represent.
Singapore
Parsons: With "Too many stars," it earns a "B-", 65/100.
Michael5000: Singapore stumbled into national existence a little less deliberately than most countries, and the flag was apparently come up with on the quick. In a country with mixed Chinese and Muslim citizenry, you could do worse than to join the five stars of the Chinese flag and the crescent of Islam. However, you could do better than to go with the red and white horizontals, especially being only one country over from enormous Indonesia.
Grade: B
Parsons: "Quite a nice flag. Definitely beats Solvenia [sic] and Czech Republic, both of which are much nicer places to visit." This rates it a "B+", 79/100.
Michael5000: We come to the first of two consecutive entries in the New Eastern Europe Axis of Sameness. Slovakia has a solid historical claim to its white, blue, red horizontal tricolor, having first used it back in the heady year of 1848. But then, a LOT of Eastern European countries use red, white, and blue in their flags; the blend is sometimes called the "pan-Slavic" colors in the same what that red, gold, and green are called the "pan-African" colors. (Note: some non-Slavic countries also use a combination of red, white, and blue in their flags).
The private-school crest on Slovokia's flag is moderne. I think I like it, even though it kind of looks like something a Boy Scout might get for having installed signposts along a trail network. The new flag, with its seal, was adopted in 1992.
SloveniaSlovakia
Parsons: "Quite a nice flag. Definitely beats Solvenia [sic] and Czech Republic, both of which are much nicer places to visit." This rates it a "B+", 79/100.
Michael5000: We come to the first of two consecutive entries in the New Eastern Europe Axis of Sameness. Slovakia has a solid historical claim to its white, blue, red horizontal tricolor, having first used it back in the heady year of 1848. But then, a LOT of Eastern European countries use red, white, and blue in their flags; the blend is sometimes called the "pan-Slavic" colors in the same what that red, gold, and green are called the "pan-African" colors. (Note: some non-Slavic countries also use a combination of red, white, and blue in their flags).
The private-school crest on Slovokia's flag is moderne. I think I like it, even though it kind of looks like something a Boy Scout might get for having installed signposts along a trail network. The new flag, with its seal, was adopted in 1992.
Grade: B+
Parsons: It's "too busy," and garners only a "C," 55/100.
The private-school crest on Slovenia's flag -- made all the more private-school looking by having it smaller, closer to the flagpole, and higher -- is moderne, and I can't decide if I like it. It kind of looks like something a Boy Scout might get for exhibiting expertise in orienteering. The new flag, with its seal, was adopted in 1991 "following a long and controversial dispute about the coat of arms of the new Republic." Gosh, that must have been fun!
Grade: B
Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands
Parsons: Also "Too busy" and with "Too many stars," the flag of the Solomon Islands gets a "B," 70/100.
Michael5000: Not wildly imaginative, but gets points for coming up with a new way of combining simple geometric elements into a distinctive, quickly recognizable whole quite late (1977) in the flag-design game. You aren't going to confuse it with Slovenia, that's for sure. Five stars, incidentally, for five main island chains.
Grade: A-
Somalia
Parsons: "I think this one beats Vietname [sic] by just a little," writes Parsons, "owing to superior colour choice and a smaller star." With "Good Colours," a "Good Shape," and being "Simple," it gets an "A", 86/100.
Michael5000: I want to like the Somali flag, and indeed it makes a terrific indoor flag. At any gathering of African folks, you can always find the Somalis right away; nobody else on the continent is rocking a color even close to baby blue. But flags, like butterflies, are made to fly, and the photograph here shows why a sky-blue and white flag loses some of its oomph in situ. Some red or black trim could really make this sucker pop! But alas.
1 comment:
1. But I really LIKE Singapore's flag. I was certain that it chose its colors to show a relationship to Indonesia, (and that may still be the case), but it seems they have more history with Malaysia. If it is the former case, then I don't have a problem with it, as I have never confused Singapore and Indonesia, and I don't mind similarities like Venezuela and Columbia too much, either. Rule 5 of GFBF says "Be Distinctive or Be Related." (Ecuador is another story). It's simple, bold and attractive. A
Slovakia. Slovenia. Croatia. Serbia. Russia. (might as well throw in the Netherlands and Luxembourg and Paraguay). I have a plan for straightening out the White-Blue-Red problem, similar to the Blue-yellow-Red tricolor problem. It would be easier with pix. The flag of Slovenia is discussed in great detail here: http://www.flagsforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=25&t=1326
I personally think that Slovenia should turn its striped vertically, and that Slovakia could benefit from adopting the tri-colors in a bend or bend sinister. The diagonal could show their former relation to the Czech republic (though they might not like that) Croatia should incorporate their checkerboard more prominently into the flag.
Serbia was good enough to turn the Russian flag upside down, but thre's a great untapped resource in not only the vertical tricolor (which only France and a few subnational states use, and then only two of the 6 combinations of color), but also in the W-R-B and B-R-W horizontal tricolors. (Note that Slovakia's state flag would suffer with a red stripe in the center, given their crest's main color.) All 12 of the diagonal flags (bends and bends sinister) are open. Note also that Yugoslavia's former flag, B-W-R, is used for Pan-Slavism in general. Oh, and Luxembourg can use a variation of their coat of arms: Ten Stripes, white and bright blue, with a red Diagonal Stripe. This would differentiate it from their Ensign. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_of_Luxembourg
Back to Slovenia and Slovakia. Slovakia is definitely better, but both break the Rule of Seals, though Slovakia's comes very close to being a proper charge. Slovakia: B to B+, Slovenia, B- to B.
Solomon Islands. It's great on technical merit, only losing a bit for having 4 colors. I pretty much concur on everything you say. But it donen't speak to me. I don't know why. A- to B+
Somolia. I don't like that their flag is so much like the Bonnie Blue flag, but that's a purely regional issue. And it looks like they're taunting the United Nations. Doesn't fly well, does it. Light blue is more of a metal than a color (Rule of Tincture), and shouldn't be used with white (hear that, UN?) Change that white star to Black, and they'd have a real winner. But as is stands, it's only meh. B to B-.
Post a Comment