The Obama Official Portraits

[Deacfreak07]

People that actively don’t like Michelle Obama weird me out. It’s one thing to be indifferent, but to actively dislike her is weird at best.

 

[Kory]

are presidential portraits art?

 

[Deacfreak07]

Rubes were always going to complain that Obama’s portrait was too colorful. I like that he just steered into the skid.

 

[PhDeac]

Were people expecting Obama to give any fucks?

 

[ConnorEl]

 

[ConnorEl]

Not sure who this is supposed to be. Doesn’t look like anyone, exactly.

 

[avalon]

Rubes were always going to complain that Obama’s portrait was too colorful. I like that he just steered into the skid.

Were people expecting Obama to give any fucks?

Dude doesn't have anymore elections to win.

It's also in line with Michelle's attempts to spotlight up and coming designers. They chose to share the spotlight with amazing artists. (The dress in the portrait is great also. I love that she went sleeveless.)

 

[ImTheCaptain]

are presidential portraits art?

yes, but are feet shoes?

 

[Kory]

art?

 

[Kory]

is the WSJ's portrait art?

 

[ImTheCaptain]

yes and no

 

[Kory]

wait, the WSJ's portrait isn't art? why?

 

[ChrisL68]

A portrait is art but in this context also an historical record.

 

[ImTheCaptain]

wait, the WSJ's portrait isn't art? why?

it's merely a machine created photo-facsimile for reference purposes. the portraits are designed by the artist to express imagery but also ideals and other information about the subject

 

[ConnorEl]

Not sure who this is supposed to be. Doesn’t look like anyone, exactly.

Art?

 

[Kory]

it's merely a machine created photo-facsimile for reference purposes. the portraits are designed by the artist to express imagery but also ideals and other information about the subject

Google says WSJ "hedcuts" are hand-drawn, but I see your point.

I take it based on this definition you don't think presidential portraits are art.

 

[ImTheCaptain]

Google says WSJ "hedcuts" are hand-drawn, but I see your point.

I take it based on this definition you don't think presidential portraits are art.

hm no i think the portraits are purposefully designed and painted. I see that my second sentence does appear to refer to the first in the previous post.

 

[Kory]

Okay, so presidential portraits are art because they are: (1) purposefully designed and (2) express ... ideals and other information about the subject

I don't disagree.

 

[ConnorEl]

Of course they are art.

Even if they were straight up photographs they would be art.

 

[Kory]

Working though that example though, there are plenty of presidential portraits that don't fit such a definition: see Thomas Jefferson, William Henry Harrison, or James Garfield. These leave little detail to be interpreted. We get a face and that's pretty much it.

So, there are two categories of official presidential portrait. Art portraits and Reference portraits.

The Obama portraits would seem to fit into the former.