Obama BOYCOTT White House For Portrait Unveiling

That the Michelle Obama portrait looks nothing like her. More like a generic 20-something Black girl.

Here is the last time it happened in 2012 (Obama's hosting the Bush's)

But this time NO Trump's hosting the Obama's

Atrocious portraits. I've seen 5-year-old kids drawing better.

The Obama portrait is good. It was painted by gay artist Kehinde Wiley. If I remember correctly, some years ago this frau critic accused him of exploiting his male models, because painting is only allowed to celebrate the female form, or whatever the dumb cunt writer was thinking. It's nice that his reputation came out unscathed - so unscathed that he was commissioned for such an important task.

Those portraits are dreadful!!!

Obama literally looks like a lawn ornament

I just checked, POTUS & FLOTUS have TWO paintings done. One for the National Portrait Gallery. & the other for the White House, This one this AM is for the National Portrait Gallery.

White House portraits will be coming soon.

I like the Obama portrait very much. Agree that Michelle's looks nothing like her.

[quote]Those portraits are dreadful!!! Obama literally looks like a lawn ornament

Okay... that was awful. But... I chuckled...

I like the paintings

OP without a link almost always false.

The Michelle portrait looks more like Kerry Washington.

I thought Op's link were joke portraits. These are the real things????

YUCK

Busted OP!

Obama's picture is cool. It's different. He likes greenery because he is Hawaiian.

Michelle's looks like Malia, but I like the African love dress. Good on them giving a big fuck you to Plump.

Obama's portrait in context:

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These portraits have nothing to do with the White House, OP

R6 I was wondering. That Laura Bush painting is in the WH which I just toured a few weeks ago.

Still...I can see Pence subbing for Trump to make everyone more comfortable. Or maybe even Pelosi.

Unless Trump purposely wants to be obnoxious to pump up his base.

I have heard that Bush 41 has requested a private funeral if he dies before 2021. Nobody in the Bush clan want Trump there and it would be a state funeral hosted by the current POTUS normally.

I don't understand. So they will have two portraits? One for the National Gallery and one for the White House? I assume the same artists will paint both, but will they be duplicates of the same painting? or two different paintings?

Am I the only one who thinks Obama's portrait looks more like Biden (ignoring the skin color)?

Why? Because Obama is classy and trump can't even spell the word ("klassie"). Hate the Michelle pic.

The Michelle one is awful. It looks like the “art” that is displayed on the walls of my kids’ middle school.

I love the Obamas and I think Michelle deserves a better rendering. If the artist was going for a more unconventional style, that’s fine, but it looks very amateurish.

The portraits both suck. At least his does favor him. Hers is a complete mystery.

90% percent of the FLOTUS painting is dress - with 10% of someone totally unrecognizable. Certainly worth the half a mil.

His hands are HUGE!

They're perfect!

Both are horrible. His looks photoshopped and hers just pathetic. I agree with r17, it does look like Regina King.

I did them. You like?

I don't understand why they have Obama sitting in an ivy patch and the artist that painted Michelle should be fired, looks nothing like her.

Barack looks like he sitting there taking a dump. Michelle's already looks dated. Neither dignifies the positions they held.

I thought it was Beyoncé at first. Terrible.

Horrible. They deserve better portraits

Good to hear there is a chance for better portraits for their White House paintings.

I live outside Wash DC and have never been to that National Portrait Museum. Been to most everything else. Anybody here been there?

Has the highly regarded photographer (but pretentious bitch) Leibovitz made photographs of the Obamas?

Michelle looks like she has been devoured by a milignant shower curtain

Also from the Barack artist, another piece currently on display in Detroit. Reminds me of the old Velvet Elvis paintings.

The White House portraits will be more formal and traditional.

Michelle's looks like a 1950s drawing of a dress in a fashion mag. The faces weren't more than a few strokes since the dresses were the subject.

R34 I've been there. The NPM is part of the Smithsonian. And each POTUS has 2 paintings. One in the Gallery and one in the WH.

The WH tour lets you only see a few rooms so you only see some of the WH POTUS paintings but they are the big ones - Washington, Lincoln, Adams Roosevelt, JFK (his was stunning just amazing)....and some First Ladies, Abigail Adams, Laura Bush, HRC,

There are more but I don't remember

I've tried to link a pic of JFK's WH portrait.

It's so beautiful and eloquent.

Interestingly...his Gallery painting is a bit eccentric.

Obama is sitting in the garden chair of solitude.

Can the paintings be re-done by another artist or artists, and replace these two in the National Portrait Gallery?

These portraits are just unacceptable.

JFK gallery painting.

[quote]These portraits are just unacceptable.

Why? Because they are Black? Painted by Black artists?

The more I look at them, the more I like them.

[quote] Why? Because they are Black? Painted by Black artists?

No. It's because they suck. Have you not been reading the comments on this thread?

It's not just one person's opinion.

I prefer this one.

The only thing nice on Michelles is the dress

The Michelle one should have been rejected. It's just amateurish. They're plenty of black artists that can do quality portraits and there's no reason to accept such a poor one.

Michelle's looks like a TV Guide cover from 1974.

The Michelle Obama portrait is horrible. Looks like something off of Etsy or even Fiverr (if it was a digital portrait).

These are for the National Portrait Gallery run by the Smithsonian and they're interpretive by up and coming prominent African American artists. The official Presidential Portraits that hang in the White House aren't ready yet, and maybe they will not be ready as long as Trump is POTUS.

Barack and Michelle deserve much better than these caricatures. Frankly, I am appalled by the portraits.

R54 I think that is best.

Those finishing touch-ups could go until mid 2021....

The more I look at the Obama portrait the more I think it looks like the Dos Equis guy ("Stay thirsty my friends")

I thought the artist said Obama's portrait is significant because it shows him ahead of a Bush. Seriously - as in President Bush.

While yes, they historically do 2 portraits, the White House portrait are ALWAYS the first big unveiling. The President's former staff comes and it is like a one year class reunion at the White House.

But not this year.

R29 Even G. W. Bush could paint a better portrait of Mrs. Obama.

Also by Kehinde.

Also by Kehinde

R44 YES! I like it but it is controversial. If course not as controversial as the ones from today

The National Portrait Gallery is a wonderful museum, one of my favorites in DC. Famous American figures from all walks of life are displayed, mostly paintings but also many photographs. The earliest painting is of Pocahontas, made when she visited England in the early 1600s. There is also a lot of great American art that's not portraiture, and interesting monthly exhibits about aspects of American life.

All of the Presidents' portraits are in a few rooms, chronologically displayed. I don't think all of the First Ladies are represented at the museum, but in any case, they're not in the same rooms as the Presidents.

Lovely place to spend an afternoon if you find yourself in DC.

Love the Obamas and they deserve finer portraits than these.

Michelle's portrait looks NOTHING like her.

Barack's portrait at least looks like him, but its not a terribly flattering photo. What's with the Ivy? Is there some Obama-Ivy association I'm missing?

I love it.

I see quiet strength. I also see a reflection of the many Black women who have come before her (particularly those women in slavery) ... a "How I Got Over" reflective look.

Why not just the real thing? The Obamas smiling in front of an adoring audience, together- which is how we always imagine them.

It's been done, R66

Oh regarding Kehinde's "scandal" - I believe you are referring to the devastating takedown of him in the old Village Voice, which RIGHTLY called him out about his "casting couch" process of painting - otherwise "celebrated" as his special style of painting "everyday" black men he met on the streets.

So tacky.

Who poses with their clothes on?

Obama's background represents his personal background. Michelle's dress is to represent her style. If you look at Michelle's long enough you can some of her in it but I agree that when you look at it it doesn't look like her. The Obama's seem perfectly happy with it, at least publicly, so in the realm of things it really doesn't much matter. I'm hoping there are never portraits there of the ones that have currently taken over the WH

Prince Albert!

I really love the Michelle Obama portrait!

Given the artist's past work, I don't believe it is supposed to be an exact likeness--although when Michelle stands right next to the portrait one can see the likeness. I believe the portrait is representative of an amalgam of Black women, (particularly those women of the slavery era), who came before her, thus the quilted patches of her dress. I believe that the artist wanted to give a woman of color the opportunity to see themselves, (or a face that they could identify with), in the portrait.

I see "quiet strength", but also somewhat of a contented relief and thankfulness given the struggle of Black women in this country and therefore an honoring of those women on whose backs/shoulders she stands on that paved the way for her to reach her position. It's sort of a huge exhale and a "How I Got Over" --an old Negro spiritual, type of reflective/thought type attitude.

Oi, fit builder! I mean, Ecce Homo.

[quote] The Obama's seem perfectly happy with it, at least publicly

Lol... if they didn't like it, what exactly are they supposed to say?

Michelle: "Omg, you made me look like absolute shit!"

Barack: "Wow. That's really horrible."

Feets!

Why would the Obamas sanction a portrait done by an artist (Kehinde) who did the paintings at R60 and R61?

Not only are they horrible, but kind of racist, no?

No r76. Those are modern paintings inspired by biblical stories.

Michelles picture is awful but she was so gracious about it..wonder if Mel bribed the artist to do such an awful job.....

r 65 You made some good points.....here you go. I have had this song on every "player" Ive owned...

was she the artist?

The portraits already look horribly dated.

Bullshit R77. They are exactly what they look like. Angry black woman celebrating the beheading of a young white girl. A lot of people are criticizing Obama on social media regarding his choice of this artist. Obama is a smart man, he would have researched the artist and would have seen those disgusting paintings before making his choice. The fact that he chose this artist speaks volumes about Obama's true character. Race baiting piece of shit.

I just realized the thing that I can't stand about Obama. He's a passive-aggressive cunt. This is the perfect example of how he gets his true feelings across, but he would NEVER have the balls to say it out loud. Trump is also a cunt but at least he has a set of balls.

Oh, and the artist is mediocre at best. He adds all of that silly loud wallpaper background to distract from his mediocre talent.

[quote] if they didn't like it, what exactly are they supposed to say?

Gurl, bye!

Hey R82 - R77 here. Regarding "He adds all of that silly loud wallpaper background to distract from his mediocre talent." - Kehinde is well-known for having his assistants frequently paint those backgrounds - it is one of the things his dissenters LOATHE about him.

Thanks R79! But, when I'm looking at Michelle Obama painting it is this rendition that I'm thinking of;

It has to be said, the Michelle portrait has all the artistry of this masterpiece.

R82 is triggered,. Poor thing. She is reading too much and forgetting art is a personal thing. Get some sleep hun, poor little snowflake.

"Trump is also a cunt but at least he has a set of balls."

Which Putin devoured a long time ago.

It wasn't even a snack.

It was barely an amuse-bouche.

I can't wait to see how Fox Noise responds to these.

Oh wait, I've already heard Fox & Friend's art critique on DL. My bad.

Yes maybe I am a little triggered by this but stop and think for a minute, if a white president had chosen an artist whose past art included a white woman holding the severed head of a black woman, there would be OUTRAGE with marches and riots in the streets. As I said before, Obama is a smart man, he knew what kind of reaction this would invoke, so why would he choose such a radical artist?

Viola looks so pretty in this portrait. I like the longer hair. Glad she is wearing wigs again.

I think we know someone’s favorite movie.

“It’s sort of a play on the ‘kill whitey’ thing,” Wiley says

The portraits don't match, Obama is drowning in foliage while Michelle is in a white studio setting.

The Guardian:

Love a lot of his work....

so cheesy

The dress looks like a quilt patched together by a crazy quilter. It is not flattering at all. And the face doesn't look like Michelle. It certainly isn't an attractive depiction of her face. And her body is not scaled realistically. Whole thing is just off! I'm amazed Michelle was such a good sport about it. Can't imagine any other First Lady even allowing such a bad depiction to be unveiled. Maybe this was the artists 5th try or something and Michelle just went along with it.

[quote]"Trump is also a cunt but at least he has a set of balls."

[quote]Which Putin devoured a long time ago.

[quote]It was barely an amuse-bouche.

More likely an amuse-douche.

You can't make this up. From seanhannity.com:

PORTRAIT PERVERSION:

The widening scandal surrounding former President Barack Obama’s official portrait continued to swirl on Tuesday, with shocking allegations the artist included ‘secret sperm cells’ within the painting and once joked about “Killing Whitey” during an interview.

Controversy surrounding Kehinde Wiley’s wildly non-traditional portrait of the Commander-in-Chief broke out within minutes of its unveiling; with industry insiders claiming the artist secretly inserted his trademark technique -concealing images of sperm within his paintings.

More shocking were comments Wiley made in 2012 while discussing a recent work that featured a “black woman” decapitating a Caucasian woman; imagery Wiley said was based on the biblical story of Judith.

[quote]shocking allegations the artist included ‘secret sperm cells’ within the painting

Yes, most dreadfully shocking. Almost as shocking as getting hookers to urinate on a bed once used by the Obamas. Among other shocking allegations such as colluding with a hostile foreign power to win an election. So much shock and awe, fire and fury.

Deets:

WON'T SOMEBODY THINK OF THE FICTITIOUSLY SEVERED HEADS? I MEAN, CAN YOU IMAGINE IF SOMEBODY DID THAT TO TRUM---Oh, hi, Kathy!

[quote]R9 I like the paintings

I like them, too. Michelle's could use more contrast, though. Maybe in person it reads better.

[quote]R94 The portraits don't match, Obama is drowning in foliage while Michelle is in a white studio setting.

I like that they are in different styles. She is not a mere appendage of his, and has her own identity.

If the colors were richer in Michelle's painting, if it looked like her opposed to Sasha, then I can be okay with it. As it stands, it looks like Sasha in that painting.

Obama just looks like an old man in an ivy field.

[quote] Barack and Michelle deserve much better than these caricatures. Frankly, I am appalled by the portraits.

I'm shocked. It's kind of out there in a not so flattering way.

Kehinde Wiley is a racist pig and it’s disgusting that he received this honor. I’m sure that tax money paid this asshole for his painting.

An artist friend of mine said that it’s common knowledge in the art world that Wiley is average at best and if he weren’t black, he would never have made it as an artist.

"An artist friend of mine said that it’s common knowledge in the art world that Wiley is average at best and if he weren’t black, he would never have made it as an artist."

Sounds like a bitter racist artist friend of yours.

Are you insane R110?

Did you see the racist shit Wiley paints? Black women holding the severed heads of white women. How is that acceptable?

My friend is southeast Asian- so nice try. The only racist in this discussion is Wiley.

A Wiley original

Another

Pro-Trump trolls are coordinating a smear campaign against Obama portrait artist, Kehinde Wiley In a seemingly organized smear campaign, right-wing trolls are claiming Wiley’s past work is racially insensitive

Economy of Grace

This group of paintings represents a significant departure from Wiley’s previous subject matter by depicting African-American women, his first-ever series dedicated to female subjects. The models for the paintings were cast on the streets of New York City. Chosen by Wiley at the Louvre, Their poses are based on historical portraits of society women by Jacques-Louis David, Thomas Gainsborough and John Singer Sargent, among others. For the first time, custom-made couture gowns were created specifically for each of the models by Riccardo Tisci of Givenchy.

The resulting paintings to be shown in An Economy of Grace are a celebration of black women, creating a rightful place for them within art history, which has to date been an almost exclusively white domain.

They look like something that belongs on an SNL skit. They're terrible. Atrocious. Are they painted by a blind person?

I've seen better street chalk drawing portraits than this crap. They look like dumb fools with no idea how bad they are by accepting this. Accepting absolute crap just because the artist is black. Affermitive Action run amok. Total disgrace.

Is Michelle still angry with Trump for giving her bus-fare on Inauguration Day 2017 ?

[quote]I've seen better street chalk drawing portraits than this crap. They look like dumb fools with no idea how bad they are by accepting this. Accepting absolute crap just because the artist is black. Affermitive Action run amok. Total disgrace.

Then don't look at the paintings. Problem solved!

I'm embarrassed for them. How humiliating.

[quote]I'm embarrassed for them. How humiliating.

And you're lying.

But, those of us who understand and who are well-versed in art fully got the context of both paintings. So, you don't like them. That's fine. Move on. The Obamas are just fine.

The link is art more to your liking....

Here is a lovely modern masterpiece that's just R119 's speed

How is it acceptable to show white women being slaughtered by black women?

Obama has a wide stance.

R122 Perhaps you can ask the artist? They're his pieces...

It is not acceptable . No decent person would think it is.

Well, aren't they displayed in the Met, or something? Clearly they're respected pieces.

For those wondering about the beheading: it’s based on the biblical story of Judith and Holofernes and has been a very popular subject for artists to depict.

Yeah, a black woman beheading a white women made me think of this.............um...........fail

I think it is your understanding of art that is the FAIL, dear R128

The Emperor has no clothes. Sshhh keep it a secret

"It is not acceptable . No decent person would think it is."

I agree, Pitty. It's simply [italic]disgraceful.

Make fun all you want R131, R132, but if it would have been a white woman holding a black head, it wouldn’t be hanging in a museum.

Neither portrait is very good. Hers looks like a high school project and his is too illustrative and gimmicky. His especially doesn’t have the gravitas of a presidential portrait, despite the over detailed, serious expression on his face.

Michelle's portrait is a wish fulfillment of what she thinks she looks like. Obama's portrait would have more meaning for me if those leaves were REAL grass. On the whole both look garish, amateurish, and ludicrous.

Hmm. Let's try again. Michelle's portrait is a wish fulfillment of what she thinks she looks like. Obama's portrait would have more appeal for me if those leaves were of actual GRASS. On the whole, both are underwhelming, somewhat amateurish, and tacky.

I think you all are missing something in Wiley's paintings depicting black "women" holding the severed heads of white females.

Those are clearly not black women. They are black men portraying black women. If you look closely, they look nothing like women. They are as masculine in the face as Jim Brown or George Foreman. I believe that Wiley is making a point as to how white culture has distorted the standard of beauty and in doing so have left black women feeling ugly and unfeminine. By removing the head of the white woman he is allowing black women as a group to have their revenge for being viewed as less than by society.

White people do not need to understand them, as they are not for them.

[quote] By removing the head of the white woman he is allowing black women as a group to have their revenge

Beheading, revenge, just what we should look for in an artist chosen to paint the portrait of the former president. He’s a fucking hateful racist. End of story.

If an artist would even hint of glorifying a white person committing a violent act toward a black person, his career would be over in a second.

Regardless of the content, the technical aspect of his paintings is sophomoric and illustrative, anathema to fine art...

[quote]How is it acceptable to show white women being slaughtered by black women?

How is it acceptable to lie so blatantly in order to try to drum up outrage?

Thankfully, you're failing. And flailing.

[quote]He’s a fucking hateful racist. End of story.

Well, sure, you'd think that if you're a fucking moron. And racist. End of story.

I remember reading that the Kennedy family chose which painting of JFK would be his White House portrait.

Whether they evaluated preliminary sketches or what, but I clearly remember that family members, including Jackie, of course, carefully decided which painting of President Kennedy would be in the White House. The large family group narrowed the choice, and the final choice was made by a smaller family group, those closest to him who I would assume would have been his wife, mother and siblings.

So, if that is true, it leads me to believe that President and Mrs. Obama knew beforehand what their portraits would be like.

Each of them handpicked their artist, R141, knowing full well the kind of work that each artist had formerly done and what style and result they were likely to get. In the art world, as compared to the deplorable world, the portraits are getting generally good reviews.

Mission accomplished.

Two-year-old Parker Curry was so awestruck by the towering portrait of Michelle Obama that every time her mother would try to get her to turn around to take a picture, she would not stop staring at it. "She was uncooperative with me because she was just so focused on the portrait and studying it, and she was just so fascinated."

"In further discussion with (Parker) yesterday and today, I realized that she believes Michelle Obama is a queen, and she wants to be a queen as well ...," Curry said. "As a female and as a girl of color, It's really important that I show her people who look like her that are doing amazing things and are making history so that she knows she can do it."

Maybe 2 year old Parker Curry just never saw a woman so so big.

It's laughable how bad those paintings are. They're atrocious.

Mediocrity abounds!!!.....

Nice story/photo at link. I still don't like it but it sure got this little girl's attention. And the photo went viral. Even Michelle Obama responded.

Little girls like refrigerator art too....

Fitting that an artist who paints fantasy art of black woman cutting off white women's heads was chosen by these two racists. So not surprising.

Even more fitting that you are useless to do anything about it, R149. We're all so scared that you have posted something on Datalounge... Michelle's portrait is in the Smithsonian. Where's yours?

Actually R150, I couldn't give a fuck about either. I'd rather not have a hideously done painting of myself like those hanging in the Smithsonian for eternity. Poor taste is really what it says about the Obamas. They're going to stand out for eternity as laughably hideous poorly done and poorly chosen crap.

Little girl who was mesmerized by Michelle Obama's portrait meets her idol in real life

The little girl who was mesmerized by the portrait of Michelle Obama met her idol today, after a photo of the child staring up at the former first lady's image in the National Portrait Gallery went viral.

Michelle Obama tweeted a video of herself dancing with the girl, writing, "Parker, I'm so glad I had the chance to meet you today (and for the dance party)!"

"Keep on dreaming big for yourself," the former first lady added, "and maybe one day I'll proudly look up at a portrait of you!"

A photo of Parker looking up, spellbound, at the former first lady's portrait hanging in the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery was snapped by a fellow museumgoer, Ben Hines, and posted on Facebook late last week.

It has since been shared over 35,000 times on Facebook and garnered more than 25,000 reactions.

At an event unveiling the portraits, before the photo of the little girl went viral, Michelle Obama spoke of the impression these historic portraits might make on children — especially young girls who will walk the museum, and look for someone who looks like them.

“I know the kind of impact that will have on their lives because I was one of those girls," she said. "And when I think about those future generations and generations past, I think ‘Wow, what an incredible journey we are on together in this country.'"

I don't like the portraits but the little girl, Parker Curry, is beyond adorable.

Oh, how precious!

OP, These paintings are for the NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY NOT THE WHITE HOUSE !

[quote]I don't like the portraits

And, I think that's okay R153. Art is personal and a personal experience. What I didn't and don't like was how the Deplorables (as R155 called them) tried to turn these portraits and the event into something that it wasn't and is not.

They are ridiculous and tacky. Truth.

I take it that you don't like them R157? It's all good. Enough people do like them and that's all good too.

Those portraits are studies in vanity and bad taste. Michelle looks nothing like her portrait and at first glance I thought it was Kerry Washington from Scandal. Obama's portrait looks ridiculous. It's as if his child came home from school and said "Daddy, Daddy, I made this for you in my Intro to Art 101 class!! Do you like it?" "Uh, yeah, sure sweetie. We'll hang it in the Smithsonian."

Oh, and that two-year-old has a publicist.

Well they fucked themselves. Affirmative Action thinking got them some shit-ass tacky paintings that look like the were slopped together by an eight year old. Very very tacky, and very very poor taste. And they will be hanging there forever. Lol.

[quote]And they will be hanging there forever. Lol.

I'm sure the complaints are few and far between...

I'd almost stand in line too to point and laugh at that crap. The shit I just flushed down the toilet looked better.

"The stylish gays" love it!

Both paintings!

Dude looks like he's six fingers lol