ARTnews and Art in America have jointly compiled a list of the 100 best artworks about America, selected by their editors. The list spans from before the nation's founding in 1776 to the present day, featuring paintings, sculptures, prints, drawings, videos, films, and digital works. Notable entries include rafa esparza's 2019 performance 'bust: indestructible columns,' which involved chiseling himself out of a concrete Ionic column on the Ellipse near the White House as a metaphor for democracy; Bureau of Inverse Technology's 1997–98 project 'BIT Plane,' a surveillance critique using a radio-controlled aircraft over Silicon Valley; and Bruce Nauman's 1981–82 neon work 'American Violence,' which combines sexual advances and white nationalist imagery.
This list matters because it uses art as a lens to explore American identity and the complex issues surrounding it, especially as the nation approaches its 250th anniversary. By focusing on artworks that respond to American identity rather than simply works by American artists, the editors offer a critical and timely reflection on democracy, surveillance, and violence in the current political climate. The inclusion of works from the first and second Trump administrations underscores the ongoing relevance of these themes.