 |
| The Obamas and the artists with the National Gallery portraits (from Time). |
The official portraits of former President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama were unveiled at the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery on Monday, February 12th. The presidential portrayal was painted by noted artist Kehinde Wiley, and Amy Sherald created the painting of the first lady. Both are African-American rising stars in the art world, and each has a unique and distinctive style much more modern than previous official portraits.
 |
| From The New York Times |
I am more a fan of modern art than traditional art, and find myself drawn to both paintings. I like the way that the two works, while quite different in style, seem to complement each other just the way their subjects do for each other. I see a pairing of earth and sky in these canvases. Wiley's creation captures the elegant but down-to-earth charm of President Obama, whose folksy but earnest and deliberate manner often reminds me of Jimmy Stewart. Sherald's work depicts Mrs. Obama in a more relaxed and private mood than we usually get to see, still fashionable and lovely but with an ethereal look of calm strength that I think is one of her defining characteristics. The two portraits will hang in different parts of the National Gallery, but I almost wish they could stay together, just like their subjects.
Art appreciation is very subjective and of course there has been criticism of both paintings, especially that of Michelle Obama as many do not think the portrait looks enough like her. Exact physical likeness is not necessarily of primary importance in modern art, but as previous official portraits have been painted by conventional artists this deviation from the norm does not appeal to some. I like the bold artist choices made by the Obamas, however, and hope to see these portraits in person some day.
If you have some time and would like to see the entire unveiling ceremony, watch the YouTube video below:
No comments:
Post a Comment