I asked, in the comments to
yesterday's post about the paintings of convivially partisan Presidents, after bonkti said:
The same woman from slightly different perspectives in the background [in the 2 paintings] suggests adjacent tables at the same event. It seems a relatively inclusive approach, allowing for tables by affinity, as opposed to segregation by tribe.
Today, I'm reading
"Trump loved a painting of himself drinking Diet Coke with Abe Lincoln so much, he hung it up in the White House" (Daily News), and I get the artist's answer to my question:
[Andy] Thomas said he did not want the portrait to depict an “all men’s club.” She represents a future female Republican president, he confirmed.
The woman, seen in both the painting of the GOP Presidents and the painting of the Democratic Presidents, is walking
toward the table in each painting.
“It would be pretty intimidating to walk up to that table,” Thomas said. “The woman who would be president would walk right up to that table without hesitation.”
Thomas painted the Democratic Presidents first, then did the GOP Presidents to "try to be as fair as I can." He didn't know his artwork was in the White House until he saw the talk on social media after people spotted it in the background during Trump's interview on "60 Minutes."
“We didn’t even know it was hanging. Darrell [Issa] gave him a gift of one of the editions. Last night when social media started lighting up, that was when we knew it was actually hanging,” Thomas said.... “We are kind of just in awe of all the media attention.” Thomas said. “It’s a real treasure, I’m just happy to make a living.”
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23 comments:
How did the artist feel about every Left-Wing media source calling it low-class trailer-park art?
As a newly minted Native American, I like the painting and only wish that the image of the woman in the republican gathering looked more distinctly like Nikki Haley, another well known American of Indian descent.
It is important that more images of People of Color, like myself, are displayed.
I wonder what all the other newly minted Native Americans and now also Persons of Color on Althouseblog think about that?
It might be a Renoir trick. All women's faces are the same woman.
We don't need a woman president.
You keep going on about this shit, Althouse, like we haven't been kissing women's asses 24/7 my entire life. Women have been the recipients of quota favoritism my entire working life. I chose my employment path all thru my life with an eye toward what professions hadn't blacklisted me for being hetero, white and male.
What in the hell is your idea of fair and equal? You get everything whenever you want it?
The Woodstock Film Festival, an annual 4 day barrage of Democratic Party and commie propaganda, will "focus on women" this year, as if they hadn't been doing that same damned thing since the festival's inception.
Any plans to ever give us a break from the bitching and nagging? Any plans to throw some crumbs to the men and boys, your highness?
The adjacent tables idea is attractive, but the doorways at the back of the room put that to rest. When I first saw the painting, I thought maybe the woman was Sarah Palin (I didn't immediately get that the table showcased all the Republican presidents). I like the author's explanation of who the woman is because she is not Hillary Clinton or Elizabeth Warren. She's some woman we don't know yet.
Hillary, in full clown make-up, would give it a Stephen King feel.
The woman is whiteness, awakened from its nap and ready to reclaim its privilege.
if she's approaching that table with LBJ, JFK, and Bill Clinton, she'd better have her tin pants on.
she'd better have her tin pants on
I pray that they are available trough the Althouse Amazon portal.
Actually, she needs more than tin pants to approach a table full of Democrat male heroes--she needs pepper spray, a taser, and probably two concealed pistols with several spare magazines.
They are, after all, the "Party of women!" Or, they "party with women!" whether the women want to party or not.... ask JFK.
It was refreshing that the painter didn't use the attention to make a nasty remark about Trump. Yay!! Painted both parties, just wants to make a living. That is the way everyone used to talk in public.
just wants to make a living
That makes him a Republican, whether he knows it or not.
Dali was said to be the most accomplished artist of his generation. He never had the rep of Picasso. Dali was too tolerant of Franco to be a great artist........This is the only living American artist who has not made a derogatory comment about Trump when offered the chance. Well, his works were never going to be hung in the Guggenheim so maybe things will work out all right for him........The illustration is idealized and good natured for both sides. What's to knock about it.......I can't help but notice that far more Republicans have survived with their reputations intact and enhanced. The Dems were better looking and more charismatic, so there's that.
I thought the "woman" was trans.
Bunch'a bigots. We still have so far to go.
Insert angry emoji here.
Not a bad painting. Only thing missing is some dogs playing poker at the table.
He should do a painting of the opponents Trump has crushed all gathered around watching Stormy do a table dance for dollar tips.
Ditto WA-mom's comment. This artist seems level-headed, which isn't seen so much these days. Very refreshing to not see a political diatribe but instead an actual sense of gratitude.
Of course, he could be a card-carrying commie for all I know. Though, if that were the case, it makes it even more impressive that he showed restraint in his comments.
While not my cup of tea, I thought both paintings were fun.
Actually Ms Haley is a Sikh. Which probably means she’ll outwork any two of her colleagues.
Lillie Langtry was the mistress of the Prince of Wales and several other important men. She was said to be one of the most beautiful women of her era. Whatever made her beautiful is not to be seen in the photos of her. She looks formidable rather than seductive or beautiful. The portraits of her by Miles and Millais are actually a truer representation of her appeal than the photos. You can see what made her a big deal........When Trump looks in the mirror, I've no doubt that he sees this artist's representation of him staring back at himself. He thinks it's a good likeness. So do a lot of his supporters. In some ways it is illustrative of his appeal. ......Anyway it's a better likeness than those caricatures drawn by Jim Carrey which are so widely celebrated in Hollywood.
WRT. A woman president: why? What does that do?
Thatcher was demonized continually, up to - and including - her death. It is not about minorities or women becoming equal (whatever that means these days). It’s about mainaining minorities and women as the oppressed to use a a cudgel against the Right.
“ ‘ “We are kind of just in awe of all the media attention.” Thomas said. “It’s a real treasure, I’m just happy to make a living.” ’ ”
“Nice career ya got there; be a shame if somethin’ was ta happen to it....” — signed, the Left.
;)
“It would be pretty intimidating to walk up to that table,” Thomas said. “The woman who would be president would walk right up to that table without hesitation.”
Althouse wouldn't hesitate.
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