The government of New Zealand
wants to replace its Union Jack-containing colonial flag; out of 5,000 entries reviewed by a commission, these are the finalists. Personally I like #3, a Maori design element called a Koru. The designer said:
I wanted to represent not just this generation, but my children’s generation and their children’s generation. In Māori kōwhaiwhai patterns, the koru is based on a fern frond unfurling and represents new life, growth and peace. For these reasons the koru has crossed cultures and become part of New Zealand’s visual language.
If nothing else I've learned today that in New Zealand a lot of people are obsessed with ferns. But note that first there has to be a referendum on whether to change the flag at all, and polls are showing 60 percent opposed. Probably the argument that will do most to persuade New Zealanders to change flags is that the current one looks so much Australia's that nobody else can tell them apart.
I find it odd that there aren't more colors represented in the finalists. Red, white, blue, black. The most boring, most common, most cliché flag colors. Ahh, well.
ReplyDeleteI think the designs that retain the Southern Cross are probably the most likely to get chosen, out of a sense of tradition among the chiefly European population. Personally I'd put my money on the fifth of this bunch because it's the least drab and keeps the stars, but in terms of actual design elements I like the third a little better for being something uniquely different from most flags.
It reminds me somewhat of Japan's prefectural and city flags, which are chiefly bicolors with simple, attractive geometric designs which incorporate stylized elements depicting either local symbols of things like local plants, animals, geography, placenames, historic industries, et cetera.