Andres Serrano on America, Redemption, and the Kitsch of the USA

In a 2005 interview with art press, Andres Serrano discusses his series America, shown at Yvon Lambert in March 2005 and later at C/O Berlin (October 8 – December 4, 2005). He denies seeking redemption after his controversial early work, stating the series was a personal reaction to 9/11. Serrano explains that America is a homage, not an apology, and notes that the US embassy withdrew its name from the Berlin exhibition after learning of his involvement, though funding remained. Similarly, American Express pulled sponsorship from a Moscow exhibition at the Maison de la Photographie (December 9, 2005 – January 6, 2006). Serrano discusses his use of stereotypes and clichés, choosing models like a blond blue-eyed Boy Scout and a white mother on welfare to challenge or reinforce expectations. He describes his studio-based practice as painterly and baroque, distinguishing it from photojournalism. The series comprises 114 portraits, with subjects looking off-camera, often directed by an assistant. Serrano sees his work as portraiture exploring broader ideas of sex, death, and humanity, even in series like The Morgue. He aims to monumentalize his subjects, increasingly focusing on faces over costumes as the series progressed.