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Michelle Obama's portrait
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Laughed so hard I cried! If that isn't funny.....nothing is funny!

http://dailycaller.com/...l-portrait-reaction/

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/...ational-Gallery.html

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/...-Obama-portrait.html

http://www.foxnews.com/...after-unveiling.html


I agree with the one that says it appears a sixth grader drew it! Barack says she's still hot? Of course he does, what else is he going to say? Sheer comedy!
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Re: Michelle Obama's portrait [tritimmy] [ In reply to ]
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Wow. The picture of Barack looks like him, but the background really detracts. The article indicated that the photos are representative of Chicago, Hawaii, and Kenya where Obama's father is from. I can appreciate that, but still.

The painting of Michelle looks nothing like her. While she was gracious about it, I am sure she was disappointed. Hopefully they will replace it with one that looks like her. If someone had shown me that painting and ask me to identify who it was - I would have never guessed.
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Re: Michelle Obama's portrait [rick_pcfl] [ In reply to ]
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I agree Rick. I actually feel sorry for her. I'm not sure which clip I watched, I think it was the CNN one, but when Michelle's portrait was revealed, the reporter or the camera man just started laughing out loud. While funny...it's sad at the same time. At lest his looks good!
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Re: Michelle Obama's portrait [tritimmy] [ In reply to ]
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Maybe they told her to do a portrait of "M.Obama" -- and she assumed they meant daughter Malia.
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Re: Michelle Obama's portrait [tritimmy] [ In reply to ]
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Quick google of the artist, it's obvious why she'd be selected for such an honor:
Amy Sherald has said that her art has changed since she moved to Baltimore. Before her oil paintings were autobiographical, but now her works have taken on a more social context, exploring identity and the roles of race and gender in life-sized portraits.

Being totally honest I looked up some of her work and I really like it, but I wonder if anyone checked whether she was just a good artist, or a good artist who paint portraits. She has a couple of self portraits that don't really look like her, if I'm being honest.

The strange thing about Michelle's portrait--beyond it looking nothing like the subject--is the artist typically injects lots of color in her art, 3-4 bold or pastel colors in each work...why is Michelle's so devoid of color? It's strange, it's like she's only partway done with the piece, nevermind it not looking at all like Michelle.

Barack's is strange, he gets lost in the color a bit. It's a striking painting but to me, why would an artist choose to drown the subject in a literal forest of color when that subject was the President of the US...wouldn't you want to convey that gravitas and import in the art? I'm no fan of his politics but Obama was a great orator who inspired people, I don't know why you'd show him hunched in a chair being overrun by the forest, it's really weird.

Last edited by: Brownie28: Feb 12, 18 13:48
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Re: Michelle Obama's portrait [Brownie28] [ In reply to ]
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I like both portraits. Sure, the Michelle one doesn't look exactly like her but I think I still recognize her (and would if I had seen it prior to being told who it is - the person in the portrait carries herself in a familiar way).

Both are modern and that's my jam. To each their own. If we wanted photographically correct 19th century stuff we could have used instagram with a filter.
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Re: Michelle Obama's portrait [SailorSam] [ In reply to ]
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I like his a lot. I think it is clever and unique. I don't understand hers. Not at all. It does not look like her and it does not convey who she is to so many people.

If there are no dogs in Heaven, then when I die I want to go where they went. - Will Rogers

Emery's Third Coast Triathlon | Tri Wisconsin Triathlon Team | Push Endurance | GLWR
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Re: Michelle Obama's portrait [tritimmy] [ In reply to ]
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doesnt look like her.
it sucks.

ΜΟΛΩΝ-ΛΑΒΕ
we're doomed
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Re: Michelle Obama's portrait [tritimmy] [ In reply to ]
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It seems the focus of Michelle's is supposed to be the dress. That's a lot of surface area for the dress. I think it somewhat looks like her. She has very long arms which the portrait accurately shows, so perhaps that makes it seem like it does look like her. I dunno. This is nowhere near the Ronaldo debacle.
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Re: Michelle Obama's portrait [tritimmy] [ In reply to ]
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Laughed so hard I cried! If that isn't funny.....nothing is funny!

Are you kidding?

I don't think it's great portrait for her but not sure what is funny about it.

I really like his though.

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Re: Michelle Obama's portrait [Sanuk] [ In reply to ]
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Barak's is like those 3D autostereogram pictures, but you don't have to cross your eyes.

Chris
*********************
“Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside in a cloud of smoke, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming "Wow! What a Ride!”
― Hunter S. Thompson,
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Re: Michelle Obama's portrait [tritimmy] [ In reply to ]
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If you show that portrait to a hundred people I don't think anyone would be able to guess that it was Michelle Obama. I agree that it's funny when people have portraits done and it turns out looking nothing like them.
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Re: Michelle Obama's portrait [rick_pcfl] [ In reply to ]
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rick_pcfl wrote:
Wow. The picture of Barack looks like him, but the background really detracts. The article indicated that the photos are representative of Chicago, Hawaii, and Kenya where Obama's father is from. I can appreciate that, but still.
.

That background makes me think he's saying "I not really part of this place" or "I'm different than the rest."

Here is a link to most portraits. Two portraits stand out from the rest: Obama and Kennedy.

There was a time when portrait artists gave clues about their subject through the subtle placement of small, seemingly normal, items in the composition. But I guess we are in the age when you have to shout everything.

Can't wait for Trump's portrait. It is gonna be the greatest ever. It will be bigger than all the rest. Huge. With real inlaid gold background. Real special.

________
It doesn't really matter what Phil is saying, the music of his voice is the appropriate soundtrack for a bicycle race. HTupolev
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Post deleted by spudone [ In reply to ]
Re: Michelle Obama's portrait [Sanuk] [ In reply to ]
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Sanuk wrote:
Laughed so hard I cried! If that isn't funny.....nothing is funny!

Are you kidding?

I don't think it's great portrait for her but not sure what is funny about it.

I really like his though.

Maybe because it looks nothing like her? Maybe because her left arm looks like it is six feet long? Look at the face. It doesn't begin to look like Michelle! Like someone said on the interwebs, a sixth grader could have done a better job. It is also laughable (to me) because someone is calling that "art." Looks horrible.
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Re: Michelle Obama's portrait [tritimmy] [ In reply to ]
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  His painting looks stylistically like Monty Python Artwork to me. So it evokes a satirical/comedic feel. Not Presidental. Her's is better but still odd. Like an early american primitive portriat... very flat ( one dimensional ) not completely without emotion but extremely muted. Again stylistically not something I would chose for a first lady portrait but to each thier own.
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Re: Michelle Obama's portrait [tritimmy] [ In reply to ]
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Should've hired the person who did that.
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Re: Michelle Obama's portrait [spudone] [ In reply to ]
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I am an idiot because I did not know that there was a President named Chester Arthur.

Seriously. I've never heard of him before.
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Re: Michelle Obama's portrait [H-] [ In reply to ]
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The background of Barack Obama’s is odd, not fitting of the decorum of the position.

Michelle’s is just weird, she has the same crazy left arm that Lincoln had in his portrait.

If you’ve ever been to Rapid City, SD- they have bronze statues of the presidents. Andrew Jackson’s was really striking- cold, imperious, commanding gaze and stance. In his portrait, he appears careworn, like his presidency weighed heavily upon him.

******************************
If I don't, who will? -Me
It's like being bipolar in opinion is a requirement around here. -TripleThreat
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Re: Michelle Obama's portrait [H-] [ In reply to ]
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H- wrote:
rick_pcfl wrote:
Wow. The picture of Barack looks like him, but the background really detracts. The article indicated that the photos are representative of Chicago, Hawaii, and Kenya where Obama's father is from. I can appreciate that, but still.
.


That background makes me think he's saying "I not really part of this place" or "I'm different than the rest."

Here is a link to most portraits. Two portraits stand out from the rest: Obama and Kennedy.

There was a time when portrait artists gave clues about their subject through the subtle placement of small, seemingly normal, items in the composition. But I guess we are in the age when you have to shout everything.

Can't wait for Trump's portrait. It is gonna be the greatest ever. It will be bigger than all the rest. Huge. With real inlaid gold background. Real special.
Yeah seeing these all together, then seeing Obama's, it's striking how much of an outlier it is. Kennedy's is different as well, that hazy quality, head down...it's a subtle way of communicating the posthumous nature of the piece. The rest look to bring in little elements like a painting in the background, a pipe, standing by a chair, being in a particular room in the WH that add some color to the portrait. Obama's is very odd, in comparison - as you said, as though he and the artist are saying 'I'm not part of this place'.

It also highlights jsut how bad Michelle's portrait is, every president that I know I immediately recognized, it's clear as day. Hers looks nothing like her.
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Re: Michelle Obama's portrait [tritimmy] [ In reply to ]
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The artist should be embarrassed, that is not Michelle Obama.

As for the former President, the first thing that came to mind when I saw it was Kramer


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UcjJ3HrxQKg
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Re: Michelle Obama's portrait [jwbeuk] [ In reply to ]
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making it's way around the internet...



Chris
*********************
“Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside in a cloud of smoke, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming "Wow! What a Ride!”
― Hunter S. Thompson,
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Re: Michelle Obama's portrait [H-] [ In reply to ]
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H- wrote:
rick_pcfl wrote:
Wow. The picture of Barack looks like him, but the background really detracts. The article indicated that the photos are representative of Chicago, Hawaii, and Kenya where Obama's father is from. I can appreciate that, but still.
.


That background makes me think he's saying "I not really part of this place" or "I'm different than the rest."

Here is a link to most portraits. Two portraits stand out from the rest: Obama and Kennedy.

There was a time when portrait artists gave clues about their subject through the subtle placement of small, seemingly normal, items in the composition. But I guess we are in the age when you have to shout everything.

Can't wait for Trump's portrait. It is gonna be the greatest ever. It will be bigger than all the rest. Huge. With real inlaid gold background. Real special.


I find it fascinating how the same picture can say different things to different people. In Obama's picture you say a claim of distinction and separation, I see a focus on context - Obama's immersion in and inability to break out of, society and historical forces. I love absolutely everything about Michelle's portrait (and overall prefer it to Obama's) except for her face where I have to agree with the consensus here. It's clearly her and very recognizable but it's far from a perfect likeness.

I live about a mile from the Brooklyn Museum which has exhibited a lot of Wiley's work and I've always liked it. Just to watch people's heads explode I really wish he'd reprised this pose for Obama:





"Are you sure we're going fast enough?" - Emil Zatopek
Last edited by: Bretom: Feb 13, 18 12:35
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Re: Michelle Obama's portrait [tritimmy] [ In reply to ]
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Artistically, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Some will like the style, some won't.

But both are horrible for the intended purpose. They look totally out of place, and somewhat un-presidential.

Of course, they wanted to be different, but if it was a more traditional portrait, with maybe a vase with the 3 flowers in it on the desk or table, it would have 'looked right' while retaining the symbolism.

I guess I am just not woke enough, or my (half) white privilege is blinding me to the meaning behind Michelle's, and how it's 'better' than a more traditional portrait.

For a couple that was described by their followers, as so 'classy' and 'presidential', these look like a big FU joke.
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Re: Michelle Obama's portrait [efernand] [ In reply to ]
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F who? If the intended purpose is to look like the median portrait of the previous 43 portraits I agree it sucks. And if that's the definition of a presidential portrait then I have to agree it's unpresidential.

It's not clear to me why those should be the purpose and criteria though or who is being harmed or offended by the Obamas' choice to deviate a little.

They're paintings, and good to great non-conceptual ones at that. We're talking very minor variations in degree here. They didn't commission a rap album and tell the Simthsonian to stick it.



"Are you sure we're going fast enough?" - Emil Zatopek
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