ARTinvestment.RU tells of the artistic preferences of Barak and Michelle Obama

The new owners of the White House Barack and Michelle Obama vengeance decorate his residence works of modern art.

Visitors and employees of the White House used to see on the walls of his still lifes, pastorals, and portraits of XIX century, but soon a number of traditional images appear vivid abstract work. Spouses Obama going to borrow from museums, galleries and private collectors of works of contemporary artists - women, African Americans, Asians, and natives of Latin America. Most recently, they were ordered to hang in their rooms, seven operations, hired a Washington museum Hirshhorna. The number of these paintings is composed of two abstraction written African-American artist Almoy Thomas (Alma Thomas).

The choice of paintings - another way to declare their commitment to democracy. At the time, Bill and Hillary Clinton is praised for what they have ordered their formal portraits of the African-American artist-realist Simmy Knox (Simmie Knox). Administration predecessor Obama, George Bush, too, has acquired the work of black artist Jacob Lawrence (Jacob Lawrence) «Builders», but this choice is endorsed by no means all: Bush's critics are not slow to draw the attention of the audience that the picture shown on the black men involved in heavy physical labor .

The fact that America is now a black president, does not mean that the works of white artists in the White House is now the way ordered. This year the National Gallery in Washington chete Obama borrowed the works of Robert Rauschenberg (Robert Rauschenberg), Richard Dibenkorna (Richard Diebenkorn), Jasper Johns (Jasper Johns), Louise Nevelson (Louise Nevelson) Rushi and Ed (Ed Ruscha). Piece Rushi, blood-red cloth with the words Think maybe I'll ... ( «I think that perhaps I ...»), is well suited Barack Obama, carefully considering each phrase. Some work, including sculpture Jones «The numbers 0 through 9», were installed at the residence on the day of the inauguration of the President.

Collectors say that the choice of spouses Obama certainly affect the market value of works of art. After the Bush Jr. hang in the Oval office of the Texas brush landscape painter Thomas Lee (Tom Lea), the price of his paintings, according to the dealer Adeyr Margot (Adair Margo), increased by 300 per cent.

Barack and Michelle Obama have begun to be interested in contemporary art long before they moved into the White House. Their friends tell that the wall of the house the couple in the Chicago area of Hyde Park was decorated with the work of modern artists and black-and-white photographs.

Obama Administration is going to fund projects in the arts. The package of measures to stimulate the economy, approved by the U.S. Senate in February of this year, provides $ 50 million for the National Endowment for the Arts. Recently, Michelle Obama said that in the future, it may be re-opened office of American Art, the Metropolitan Museum.

Search for works of art for the White House began shortly after the November elections. Obama is the decoration of rooms los andzhelessky interior designer Michael Smith (Michael Smith). Smith and Michelle Obama made a list of 40 artists whose works the first couple would like to see in his residence and turned into a museum Hirshhorna. According to Deputy Director of the Museum Broera Kerry (Kerry Brougher), the designer insisted that spouses provide only a store and not from the permanent exhibition.

In addition to paintings, Thomas Almy, Barack and Michelle Obama at the museum decided to take an abstract painting «Nice», written in 1954 by Russian artist Nicolas de Steel , as well as two works by Josef Albers (Josef Albers) from the series« Dedication square », and two bronze sculptures by Edgar Degas (Edgar Degas). The museum also sent them the product of the New York kontseptualista Ligona Glenn (Glenn Ligon) called «Black, I», the theme of which is the slave South. The couple has to think, to take the job or not.

all works, the first loan from the couple of cultural institutions or private collectors, will be returned at the end of presidential term.

To help couples decorate their new home offered to many collectors, including those who financed the campaign of Barack Obama. Last month, E. T. Williams (E. T. Williams), the New York African-American art collector, decided to give the White House to the pearl of his collection - a portrait of a man in the felt hat brush Mail outstanding artist Lois Jones (Lois Mailou Jones). The painting is estimated at 150 thousand dollars. Williams, retired banker, said that Barak was ready to borrow and Michelle Obame any work from his collection, which includes works by such well-known American artists, as Romer Birden (Romare Bearden) and Haley Vudraff (Hale Woodruff). Collector denies that his work has been dictated by a desire to provide mercenary motives - he just wants to support the president.

In their own rooms and in the Cabinet of the President can hang what he wants, but before you decorate the premises available to the public, it must consult with the curator of the White House and members of the Committee for the Protection of the White House, honorary chairman of which is the first lady.

According to the chief curator of White House Counsel William Ollmana (William Allman), all works of art intended for the permanent collection of the White House, are very strict and careful selection. Representatives of the White House, or take work as a gift or buy them through private donations. Age works should not be less than 25 years. The White House also did not include in the permanent collection of the work of living artists, as this decision may affect the market value of their works. As a result of works of contemporary authors in the collection of very little.

«This is not a gallery and not a museum - says Mr. Ollman. - People come to the White House once in his life, and they have some idea of what they will see it». Therefore, the new art of the White House does not pursues. Most works in the collection - the classical paintings of American artists of XVIII and XIX centuries.

Collection of the White House has about 450 works, five of which created black painters. These portraits of Clinton, written by Simmy Knox, «Builders» Jacob Lawrence, «Rural Landscape» Bannistera Edward (Edward Bannister) and «Sand dunes at sunset. Atlantic City »Ossava Henry Tanner (Henry Ossawa Tanner). Tanner painting, created around 1885, became the first African-American artist's work, part of the permanent collection of the White House. It was purchased in 1995 at the initiative of Hillary Clinton. Now the picture is hanging in the Green Room, which is used for meetings and receptions.

History of the White House collection, of course, closely linked with the names of the first lady. In 1814, during the Anglo-American War, the British set fire to the residence of the head of state, but the wife of President James Madison (James Madison) Dolly (Dolley Madison) managed to put out a national treasure - a portrait of George Washington painted by Gilbert Stuart (Gilbert Stuart). Thanks to Jacqueline Kennedy (Jacqueline Kennedy), velevshey get out of storage, eight paintings by Cezanne (Paul Cézanne), the prestige of meeting the White House has grown significantly. Hillary Clinton has convinced the other members of the Committee for the Protection of the White House to hang in the Green Room abstract landscape «Gore at Bear Lake, Taos», made by the great artist O'Kif Georgia (Georgia O'Keeffe). And Laura Bush has included in the outstanding collection of paintings of American realist Andrew Wyeth (Andrew Wyeth) - one of those rare instances when the White House took the work of living artists. Cloth First Lady gave himself Wyeth. Soon, the artist died, and the prices of its products increased. According to a Committee member, Art historian William Klossa (William Kloss), if Laura Bush has taken a picture Wyeth, the White House is unlikely to be able to afford to buy his product.

In 2007, the Fund purchases the White House (a non-profit organization dedicated to the purchase of works approved by the Committee) has paid 2.5 million dollars for «Builders» Jacob Lawrence. The painting was bought at New York auction Christie's. Representatives of the White House had to be a fight for the cloth - it estimeyt was only 400-600 thousand. Prior to this landmark record auction sales of Lawrence was 968 thousand dollars. Thanks to the White House price plank works the artist has risen. In May 2008, a collector paid for the picture of Lawrence «ventriloquist» 881 thousand dollars. Cloth to become the third line in the list of the most expensive works of black painter.

Sometimes, though, buying the White House led to destabilization of the market. For example, already referred to the picture of Henry Tanner Ossava «Sand dunes at sunset. Atlantic City »was bought from the artist's grand-niece for only 100 thousand dollars, while the market for such work of Tanner while requiring a minimum of one million. On the transaction have written all the leading newspapers, and prices for works by the artist has fallen.

The previous owners of the White House has already returned all the works of art that lend them to museums and collectors. They say that Bush hung in the office at least six Texas landscapes. The ex-president liked to look at the picture, reminding him of his favorite state. He also wanted the Oval Office has stressed the optimism of its owner. Tastes wife of Bush's much more «avant-garde». In addition to paintings to Lawrence, she put in the White House picture of the famous abstraktsionistki Frankentaler Helen (Helen Frankenthaler).

Shortly after Barack Obama settled in the White House, he was ordered removed from the Oval Office a bronze bust of Winston Churchill, the British Embassy loan, and put in its place a bust of Martin Luther King. Author Sculpture - African American, Charles Alston (Charles Alston). Previously, the bust was in the National Portrait Gallery Smithsonian Institution.

In the next couple month, Obama is likely to take out four of the black artist, William H. Johnson (William H. Johnson), by Smithsonian Museum of American Art. Among these works - the picture «Legend of Booker T Washington», which depicted the great African American educator from their students. And Art Institute of Chicago is planning to offer the first chete ten works, including the creation of black modernist Boforda Delaney (Beauford Delaney) and an abstract expressionist Franz Kline (Franz Kline).

Material prepared Yulia Maksimova, AI

Source: online.wsj.com , artinvestment.ru