Module 4: Artwork Analysis

 Module 4:Artwork Analysis


 Kehinde Wiley, Portrait of Barack Obama, 2018, https://americaspresidents.si.edu/gallery

After reading the article about Jay-z and Beyonce's music video "APES**T" has had an effect on changing "who belongs in museums" (https://hyperallergic.com/449108/beyonce-jay-z-louvre-apeshit-museums/) I decided to do an analysis of Barack Obama's portrait in the National Portrait Gallery. When Obama's portrait, along with wife Michelle's portrait, was unveiled at the National Portrait Gallery the event was remarkable for a multitude of reasons. Both paintings were commissions by black artists (Kehinde Wiley and Amy Sherald), they also fit into an all-white historical context, he was the first black president of the United States, and like the music video the portraits represent rare examples of black people being heralded in predominately white spaces. These portraits gave normally under-represented populations to see themselves in spaces from where they are often excluded, and I believe that these portraits did a better job than the Carter's music video as there is not an element of art being a luxury. 

Artist Kehinde Wiley is well known for his vibrant and large-scale portraits and this painting of Obama is no exception. The portrait is approximately 84.1 in × 58 in × 1.3 in, this large scale is typical of portraits of people of importance as it makes them look more powerful. This scale can be seen next to the real Obama in the picture of the portrait below. Obama is painted sat amongst leaves and flowers; this stays true to the artist's vibrant reputation but each flower is thoughtfully planned out with each type of flower having a specific sentimental meaning to Obama.  The chrysanthemums, for example, reference the official flower of Chicago where he spent a lot of time after graduating. The jasmine evokes Hawaii, where he spent the majority of his childhood, and the African blue lilies stand in for his late Kenyan father which also advocates his pride for his heritage. This painting is made using oil paints on a canvas which allows Wiley to get a good depth of colour and achieve the vibrant look. 

Image result for barack obama portrait

https://news.artnet.com/app/news-upload/2018/02/obama-portrait-unveiling-1024x788.jpg

Works Cited:

Ragbir, Lise. “Can Beyoncé and Jay-Z's Louvre Video Change Perceptions of Who Belongs in Museums?” Hyperallergic, June 17, 2020. https://hyperallergic.com/449108/beyonce-jay-z-louvre-apeshit-museums/.  






Comments

  1. KellyFebruary 7, 2021 at 2:30 PM

    Hey Tilly! I really liked the artwork you choose and how you incorporated it with the videos we saw this week. I also like how you went into detail about the leaves and flowers in the portrait and explained the meaning that they bring to the portrait. Do you think that with the portrait more artworks like this one will be incorporated in more museums?

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