I must say that I appreciate things like this — more distanced, aesthetic takes on Trump. More please. Less heat. More coolness.
August 29, 2023
The Art of the Mug Shot.
From "The Trump Mug Shot’s Art-Historical Lineage/Assessing the forty-fifth President’s Georgia photo op in the context of Da Vinci, Warhol, and a rogues’ gallery of accused criminals" (The New Yorker):
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Surprisingly few mentions of Tom Delay, the true genius behind Trump’s mugshot. If they knew their recent political history a little better, they might not have been caught flatfooted this time. That’s the part that interests me—the liberal media going straight from standard police mugshots to famous self-portraits in art history. Could there be something in between?
Once again, they’re so determined to show how smart they are that they miss what’s going on.
"Unfortunately, he nailed it".
Telling statement isn't it? "Unfortunately".
He was expecting something that was going to be embarrassing for Trump. With Trump being out of control of his own fate. But he ended up with something that made him feel of being dominated. With Trump in control. A self portrait despite Trump not being in charge of the photo. In control even when not in control.
Trump is in power even while out of power of the elected office.
"More please. Less heat. More coolness."
Me in 24 hours, when the storm hits and the power goes out. Florida can bear anything except loss of HVAC in summertime.
Hurricane Donald has knocked the power out, and it's getting hot in there.
"shoot on up in here, and give one of us some relief!" IYKYK...
Funny, I thought ‘he nailed it’, too…but it wasn’t unfortunate…
Famous mugshots usually depict a decrepit authority wrangling a protagonist or outright hero. That’s what this one feels like. The ‘art experts’ were given a narrow context for comment but the fact they can’t muster the obligatory deranged reaction makes me think they feel the same…
I’m keeping the opinion the Rick Perry did it better. Less scorn and more confidence.
The sad part is the increasing evidence that progressives are so willing to destroy human rights because they thought they would get a picture of Trump that would make them happy. It didn’t work with Tom Delay. It didn’t work with Rick Perry. It now isn’t working with Donald Trump. Still, they persist.
Lotsa triangles. The most stable design element as employed in geodesic structures.
That side-by-side photo leads me to ask whatever happened to Ashton Kutcher?
Trump tied and failed to overturn a stolen election. Criminal! In red-guard corrupt democrat 'Merica.
"...the case of Scooter Libby, the chief of staff to VP Cheney convicted in the political disclosure of an undercover CIA agent's identity."
Nobody ever seems to get this right. Scooter Libby did not disclose, and was not charged with disclosing a CIA agent's identity. In fact, nobody was charged with that offense. Libby was charged with making a false statement during questioning by the FBI.
Richard Armitage, the man who revealed the agent's identity, was not charged.
"I appreciate things like this"
I do too. The analysis is good and professional. Plus Fantin-Latour is one of my favorite painters.
The very first line of this article rubbed me wrong.
Trump declared the vote rigged LONG before election night. He laid the framework of "election fraud" before the 2016 election and began with Ted Cruz’s victory in Iowa. His whole life has been "if I didn't come out on top, someone rigged it all!"
Leland said...
I’m keeping the opinion the Rick Perry did it better. Less scorn and more confidence.
I'm fully in the camp that Trump should have given them a shit-eating grin.
Trump doesn't even read. How could this happen?
I love it.
why not also use for Trump official portrait in gallery of El Presidentes
I expected the grin a la Delay and Perry, but the scowl is definitely more iconic. It was a good choice.
The grin only works in the oval office. Peak lefty rage inducing.
Can we blame people for turning to "idolatry", after seeing what it did for Trump's predecesor?
Here were Trump followers thrown in jail, for protesting the questionable election, after Trump was rebuffed in the courts. Trump makes calls and now almost 3 years later, they are on the verge of throwing him in jail for asking questions and trying to find out what happened. What happened with a system that knows elections turn on an allowed margin of fraud, is supposedly now saying elections are squeaky clean and most secure and have always been squeaky clean and most secure.
If not Trump, Who? If not now, When?
The precedent is being set. Question what they say and next time you may wish you'd only face jail time.
In fact, nobody was charged with that offense. Libby was charged with making a false statement during questioning by the FBI.
And the Special Counsel knew at the time about Richard Armitage, but had interviewed and indicted Libby anyway. The CIA was deflecting from their bad intelligence leading up to the Iraq war. It was one of the "6 ways from Sunday the intelligence community can get you".
It was Russia Collusion 1.0.
James Comey was the one that appointed SC Fitzgerald. It's amazing how many times the same names keep coming up. As an aside, the Special Counsel Act is a real workaround the Constitution and is ripe for review.
The Attorney General has to be approved by the Senate, but a special counsel has all the rights and powers of the AG without needing to be approved by the Senate. The only check on the SC's powers is to impeach the Attorney general for approving him. There is some argument that he's not even fire-able. Can the Senat impeach a Special Counsel! A good gig if you get it.
If Trump gets elected expect him to appoint a Special Counsel and a bunch of cries from the media that the Special Counsel has too much power!
Trump definitely isn't Nixon. Nixon's hangdog face looked miserable and defeated during his last days. According to Kissinger or was it Woodward, Nixon drank a lot and wandered through the halls muttering to himself and praying. This was all very gratifying for members of the press. They think their enemies should be wracked with guilt and regret for all the misdeeds that their brave journalism has brought to light. Nixon was the perfect foil for these picadores. He was a victim in just the right way. Trump not so much. He looks defiant and untouched by their lances. They'll have to work a lot closer to the horns to bring him down.
Dali?
"Trump declared the vote rigged LONG before election night. He laid the framework of 'election fraud' before the 2016 election and began with Ted Cruz’s victory in Iowa. His whole life has been 'if I didn't come out on top, someone rigged it all!'"
Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they aren't really out to get you!
The mug shot would look good on the $20 bill. Dump the founder of the Democratic Party and replace him The Donald. Native Americans would approve.
"Blogger hawkeyedjb said...
"...the case of Scooter Libby, the chief of staff to VP Cheney convicted in the political disclosure of an undercover CIA agent's identity."
Nobody ever seems to get this right. Scooter Libby did not disclose, and was not charged with disclosing a CIA agent's identity. In fact, nobody was charged with that offense. Libby was charged with making a false statement during questioning by the FBI.
Richard Armitage, the man who revealed the agent's identity, was not charged.
8/29/23, 8:07 AM"
And that my friends is why you should NEVER speak to our corrupt FBI.
"shoot on up in here, and give one of us some relief!"
mezzrow, you'll be edified to learn that at least one commemtor got the reference. "Knock him out, John!"
It's not about mug shots, it's not about 'triangles', it's about the media making money off every piece of scrap, every typeset mention of Trump - something Trump understands perfectly.
Fuck them and their lawfare.
The outrageous use of lawfare by the DoJ and these corrupt local DAs is hard to accept without anger. They know this is all an act but dare us to complain. They have plans for any serious complaint, like January 6. This intimidation acts to suppress the anger and resentment until something blows up. I wonder if the DoD can emasculate the military in time to use them against the angry citizens? Maybe ANTIFA will be used as the new Democrat military. That's right from Kurt Schlicter's "Indian Country."
So, wad the police photographer good or bad at his or her job? And how many do-overs can the accused have?
"mezzrow, you'll be edified to learn that at least one commemtor got the reference. "Knock him out, John!"
It sounded familiar to me, but I only remembered why when I saw "Knock him out, John."
How dare Sam McKinniss say something almost non-negative about Trump! Eject him from the public square immediately!
His mouth is exactly like the famous Karsh photo of Churchill
"Karsh photo of Churchill."
Good catch--who took Trump's cigar?
"was" not "wad."
Kunstler at Clusterfuck Nation mentions an obscure figure who seems to be Johnny-on-the-Spot in a lot of the lawfare--pro-Biden and anti-Trump. Go take a look.
Since when is a mug shot considered to be art? It is, after all, derived from the click of a camera by a non-artist.
By definition, a mug shot is a photograph taken of the head and shoulders, often from the front and in profile, usually taken in conjunction with somebody's arrest. And most importantly, Trump was obviously arrested on criminal racketeering charges at the Rice Street jail.
Since when is a mug shot considered to be art? It is, after all, derived from the click of a camera by a non-artist.
By definition, a mug shot is a photograph taken of the head and shoulders, often from the front and in profile, usually taken in conjunction with somebody's arrest. And most importantly, Trump was obviously arrested on criminal racketeering charges at the Rice Street jail.
Deep Purple says... MAD DOG
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-l7dCnkxSNA
He should use the mug shot as a "Trump for President" campaign picture.
Michael K said...
“…..I wonder if the DoD can emasculate the military in time to use them against the angry citizens? Maybe ANTIFA will be used as the new Democrat military….”
ANTIFA are already – they’ve been the Left’s shock troops for generations. Forget the tutti-fruiti ranks of the military. They’re mere window dressing. Why do you think all the migrants pouring over our borders are being allowed to (edit: instructed to) get themselves embedded into the interior? When the balloon goes up, all of those migrants will be conveniently kitted out with weapons from the government stockpiles and will gladly turn those weapons on Heritage America.
I’m so out of the loop that I’m only now learning about the Donald’s arrest. I had been seeing the mugshot online, but just assumed it was some ai art thing.
"Since when is a mug shot considered to be art? It is, after all, derived from the click of a camera by a non-artist."
The premise is that the model is the artist. I'm sure academics have written about this. It's an obvious topic. Good feminist topic.
And don't forget the famous copyright case about the monkey who took his own picture and the photographer who thought he owned the copyright.
I'm not a fan of Trump, but he's won this battle with this "mug shot". What FOOL on the Biden team thought that Trump would give them a mugshot they could use against him?
Let's run an election right now based on (a) Biden falling up (or down) the stairs on Air Force !, and (b) Trump's mug shot.
Who do you think would win?
"Unfortunately, he nailed it."
Yep; sounds really distanced.
He should have crouched down, reached in his pocket and extended his arm up into frame holding a ham sandwich.
I must say that I appreciate things like this — more distanced, aesthetic takes on Trump.
Except for the "unfortunately" crack, proving once again that absolutely everybody has to provide their anti-Trump bona fides in every conversation, lest they be cancelled. And I don't even like the guy that much. (See what I did there?)
I think it becomes art when it has a broader appeal than just it's intended purpose. The guy nailed the pose.
Rich?Chuck. Nobody cares.
In one of the sidetrips in Steven Johnson's "How We Got To Now" he reflects on the relationship between the invention of the glass mirror and the Renaissance. The new device brought about changes in art from perspective to portraiture and self-portraiture.
By now we have 500+ years of presenting ourselves in a world of lenses and mirrors, and Trump is a master of the craft. This reminds me a little of Garry Wills's (remember him?) observation that John Wayne--damn his eyes--knew how to move and stand like an Alpha.
And as any officer's promotion board will tell you, deportment counts. (Well, it used to.)
Telling statement isn't it? "Unfortunately".
The idea behind it says ‘I don’t want to get caught dead or alive sounding like I might be praising Trump.’
The horror.
Telling statement isn't it? "Unfortunately".
The idea behind it says ‘I don’t want to get caught dead or alive sounding like I might be praising Trump.’
The horror.
Michael K said...
The outrageous use of lawfare by the DoJ and these corrupt local DAs is hard to accept without anger. They know this is all an act but dare us to complain. They have plans for any serious complaint, like January 6. This intimidation acts to suppress the anger and resentment until something blows up. I wonder if the DoD can emasculate the military in time to use them against the angry citizens? Maybe ANTIFA will be used as the new Democrat military. That's right from Kurt Schlicter's "Indian Country."
A more likely scenario will be a Kent State/Tiananamen Square event, given that the current PRC government needs to steer the American elections away from Trump or a Trump-like surrogate.
It’s an amazing image.
How much was calculated, how much was serendipity, and how much was destiny?
He changed his hair color (2020?) to a non threatening blond. What a different photo it would have been if his hair and eyebrows were a different color. Brown would have been intimidating, aggressive. Orange would have been frivolous and a reminder of the past. Here, his hair is angelic. Plus it’s gorgeous. How many women will be asking for that exact shade on their next visit to what will have to be a very expensive heir colorist. He’s a man of the people, yet everything about this photo shouts money. He’s a man’s man who could probably talk to you about hair styles all day long.
The lighting creates a dark Donald for the leftist viewer and the uplifting promise of a sunny future for viewers on the right. Even his lips give the impression of a scowl on the viewer’s left and a smile on the viewer’s right. That half smile - is he putting us on?
You don’t see his neck which makes you think he’s in motion. He sits down, leans forward and says, “You want a photo? Here it is. Hey, that’s a great photo.”
I wouldn’t be surprised if he then chatted up everyone at the jail. Jail! The Rich Men North of Richmond made our President go to a jail to intimidate him and us. The photo is a symbol of the Rich Men’s red hot anger and Trump’s cool response.
At the end there’s the perfectly tailored suit and power tie.
This is a man who isn’t going to be controlled by the men who want to control us.
You can see how finely crafted the photo is when you look at the artist’s rendering in the New Yorker. No subtlety whatsoever, none of the duality that’s so obvious and makes the mug shot so compelling. The drawing is pure propaganda and as such, forgettable. Keep in mind the artist had so much longer to create their image and yet no artistry shines through.
Less heat. More coolness.
Wasting your time, Althouse, as you should know since — like yourself — they are creatures of the Left. It’s not the Normals trying to lock up their Dear Leader’s most likely opponent in the next election out of drooling, slobbering hatred.
Excellent comment, Eva Marie!
What fantasy Eva Marie, but entertaining.
is there yet meme with mug shot + smug shot?
smug shot
So how did the photograph happen?
Trump rehearsed this, I think, as much as he could, and the results were spectacular. He must have strolled up to the camera and posed in this appealing way until his lawyer said "enough photos."
Had there been a worse one, they would have used it.
And what is politics anyway? A series of photos.
You can't demonstrate your goodness in the narrowing halls of DC, but you can still throw shade.
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