The Art of George W. Bush and the Importance of Play
1–10 of 21 posts
Re: The Art of George W. Bush and the Importance of Play
#2I think people judging it for the sake of the art are missing the point. To me, the pieces scream of depression. His legs in a still bath? Staring in to a mirror in the shower?
What do you imagine life to be in the waning retirement years of the former president of the most powerful country on earth? What a jarring contrast it must be.
Re: The Art of George W. Bush and the Importance of Play
#3I think people judging it for the sake of the art are missing the point. To me, the pieces scream of depression. His legs in a still bath? Staring in to a mirror in the shower? What do you imagine life to be in the waning retirement years of the former president of the most powerful country on earth? What a jarring contrast it must be.
I definitely see that. I also see him grappling with identity, likely the result of his years with (relatively) carefully managed presentation. In the mirror painting, we don't see the front of his body directly, only a limited reflection that he chooses to show us. And we're given a peek through is eyes in the bathtub, but with only limited parts of his body exposed from out of the water. It's like he's trying to express that there's more to him as a person than what we saw.
Re: The Art of George W. Bush and the Importance of Play
#4I think people judging it for the sake of the art are missing the point. To me, the pieces scream of depression. His legs in a still bath? Staring in to a mirror in the shower? What do you imagine life to be in the waning retirement years of the former president of the most powerful country on earth? What a jarring contrast it must be.
I agree. The art doesn't have to be good or hung in a gallery to be of value.
The paintings represent an new, and perhaps candid insight into the thoughts and feelings of a former president. They might reveal something we wouldn't otherwise have the opportunity to observe. GWB may not even know what he's revealing about himself.
My take on the paintings is that they project a sense of loneliness, separation, and introspection.
very interesting.
Re: The Art of George W. Bush and the Importance of Play
#5Link to paintings: http://www.blackbookmag.com/art/george-w-bush-s-paintings-re...
I couldn't figure out what the heck everybody was talking about.
Re: The Art of George W. Bush and the Importance of Play
#6I think people judging it for the sake of the art are missing the point. To me, the pieces scream of depression. His legs in a still bath? Staring in to a mirror in the shower? What do you imagine life to be in the waning retirement years of the former president of the most powerful country on earth? What a jarring contrast it must be.
I agree. The art doesn't have to be good or hung in a gallery to be of value. The paintings represent an new, and perhaps candid insight into the thoughts and feelings of a former president. They might reveal something we wouldn't otherwise have the opportunity to observe. GWB may not even know what he's revealing about himself. My take on the paintings is that they project a sense of loneliness, separation, and intr…
I think that shower painting is just brilliant, in a Spike Milligan sort of way.
It seriously does make me like the guy more.
Re: The Art of George W. Bush and the Importance of Play
#7These paintings are very good. Original author seems hung up on the fact that they are not realistic enough or technically refined. I would argue that they are technically refined. The thickness of the paint, texture, handling, the palette--they all suggest that Bush has given a lot of time to thinking about how to construct a painting and what a painting should say. The content is very ambitious. He's not painting a pretty landscape, or copying a photograph, or trying to be as realistic as possible--these are the goals of small-time, minor painters. Bush is a major painter.
Re: The Art of George W. Bush and the Importance of Play
#8It is pretty fascinating. For a man not particularly known for his humility in office, the paintings show a lot of vulnerability. I'm hoping this isn't a prank.
Re: The Art of George W. Bush and the Importance of Play
#9I think people judging it for the sake of the art are missing the point. To me, the pieces scream of depression. His legs in a still bath? Staring in to a mirror in the shower? What do you imagine life to be in the waning retirement years of the former president of the most powerful country on earth? What a jarring contrast it must be.
Winston Churchill was a painter as well [1]. I think you're reading too much into it.
Re: The Art of George W. Bush and the Importance of Play
#10I think people judging it for the sake of the art are missing the point. To me, the pieces scream of depression. His legs in a still bath? Staring in to a mirror in the shower? What do you imagine life to be in the waning retirement years of the former president of the most powerful country on earth? What a jarring contrast it must be.
Bill Clinton seems to be having fun.