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| LL Cool J, by Kehinde Wiley (National Portait Gallery) |
As a child, my favorite part of the Smithsonian was the Air & Space Museum. How could you not love all those planes? The delicate wood and fabric 1903 Wright Flyer. The indefatigable gray Ryan monoplane The Spirit of St. Louis. The orange Grumman Gulfhawk, which I had a personal fondness for because I had constructed a model of it — twirl the propeller and wheels retracted.
But I grew up, and began to really appreciate the National Portrait Gallery. For the hall of presidents, the gorgeous August St. Gaudens bronzes. But also the way its collection strained to embrace all America. It wasn't mired in the dusty past, but alive with the vibrancy of today.
You learned stuff at the National Portrait Gallery. The museum didn't just hang rapper LL Cool J, but juxtaposed it with John Singer Sargent's portrait of John D. Rockefeller, inviting visitors to notice how artist Kehinde Wiley, asked by VHI to paint the singer, used the oil titan's pose to convey power and authority.
But I grew up, and began to really appreciate the National Portrait Gallery. For the hall of presidents, the gorgeous August St. Gaudens bronzes. But also the way its collection strained to embrace all America. It wasn't mired in the dusty past, but alive with the vibrancy of today.
You learned stuff at the National Portrait Gallery. The museum didn't just hang rapper LL Cool J, but juxtaposed it with John Singer Sargent's portrait of John D. Rockefeller, inviting visitors to notice how artist Kehinde Wiley, asked by VHI to paint the singer, used the oil titan's pose to convey power and authority.
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| William "Kyle" Carpenter by Mike McGregor |
The sort of "divisive narrative," apparently, that inspired our president, as part of his war on history, at least history that includes Black folk, to fire National Portrait Gallery director Kim Sajet on Friday, even though Sajet does not work for him and the president doesn't have the authority to do so. What cares a dictator for such niceties?
What Donald Trump does care about — not that he ever visited the gallery nor saw the art — is the vexing display of works like Mike McGregor's photo of Lance Corporal William Carpenter, who used his body as a shield to protect his fellow Marines from an exploding grenade in Afghanistan in 2010.
Such a photo makes a viewer think, about many things really, including the way government policies have real effects on real people. We have no idea how the damage to the government, even of the Trump administration's first four months, will affect the people of the United States.
What Donald Trump does care about — not that he ever visited the gallery nor saw the art — is the vexing display of works like Mike McGregor's photo of Lance Corporal William Carpenter, who used his body as a shield to protect his fellow Marines from an exploding grenade in Afghanistan in 2010.
Such a photo makes a viewer think, about many things really, including the way government policies have real effects on real people. We have no idea how the damage to the government, even of the Trump administration's first four months, will affect the people of the United States.
And if the administration has its way, we never will.
A thinking population, alive to he possibility of personal courage, the meaning of sacrifice for a higher ideal, would never tolerate a liar, bully, fraud and traitor like Donald Trump. So sweep away the dynamic director, whom Trump called "a highly partisan person, and a strong supporter of DEI, which is totally inappropriate for her position."
A thinking population, alive to he possibility of personal courage, the meaning of sacrifice for a higher ideal, would never tolerate a liar, bully, fraud and traitor like Donald Trump. So sweep away the dynamic director, whom Trump called "a highly partisan person, and a strong supporter of DEI, which is totally inappropriate for her position."
In with another fawning toady, though I imagine Fox News is running out of second string hosts by now. No matter. There is no shortage of groveling cowards ready to betray their nation and everything it represents for a steady salary. When the concentration camps move from El Salvador to downstate Illinois, there will be no trouble hiring guards.
Next we'll see a purge of the artworks. I'm already planning to be in Washington in July, to rendezvous with a certain young lady I'll be eager to meet. I was looking forward, should a spare moment present itself, to hurry over to the National Portrait Gallery to enjoy its riches. That visit will be tinged with melancholy, knowing that the edgier material will be heading to storage, replaced by 19th century patriotic tableaus and Rogers Groups of Lincoln consulting his generals and boys fishing.
I assume the portrait of Trump can stay. Heck, they'll probably add more. A National Portrait Gallery filled with portraits of Donald Trump — that would be a moving musem-going experience.
I expect a life size sculpture of the fat fascist traitor when he so bravely [/s] put his fist up in the air, for the fake assassination attempt on him that killed an innocent man, will be placed in the main entrance to placate his fragile ego!
ReplyDeletePost-history Smithsonian. "Show's over! Fade to black! Oh, wait... that's not allowed. Just go home, everybody! Nothing to see here!"
ReplyDeleteTrump doesn't comprehend the arts. Remember the brouhaha over the painting of him in the Colorado Capitol earlier this year? Trump was extremely offended, called it the worst ever - claimed there couldn't be a worse portrait of him, and demanded it be removed. Michael Moore put out a call for 'better' portraits and was swamped with entries. Michael Moore was delighted and he is now searching for a gallery willing to sponsor an exhibit. The name of the exhibit will be: “Michael Moore Presents: PORTRAITS OF POTUS—America’s Art Attack for Democracy.”
ReplyDeleteHere's a link to the first tranche of portraits:
https://www.michaelmoore.com/p/an-entire-wing-of-the-smithsonian?publication_id=320974&post_id=160398313&isFreemail=true&r=rwdxx&triedRedirect=true
Again I feel the need to say the new American mantra, Smart people bad, dumb people good. Science bad, Religion(the right kind)good. Repeat ad nauseam….
ReplyDeleteHe hasn't a friend, a pet, a hobby, read a book, enjoyed a work of art, unless it's a gaudy statue of him with his fake, bloody ear. He's a nothing.
ReplyDeleteYou touched a lot of bases today, Mr. S...and hopefully a few nerves. Love the Air & Space Museum. Was there in '95 for the Enola Gay exhibit and the 50th anniversary of Hiroshima. Hoo-boy! Remember he stink that one made? It was an excellent presentation.
ReplyDeleteWhen there's anything even a slight shade of pink, anywhere, the Orange One crucifies the director, and boots them. Despite having no power or authority to do so. And so this one becomes "a highly partisan person, and a strong supporter of DEI, which is totally inappropriate for her position." As well as presenting a "divisive narrative," Who writes his material? The same toady who composes the daily rants, I suppose. Please, DJT, just DDT, as we said in the Fifties. Drop Dead Twice.
Loved the snark about the concentration camps moving to downstate Illinois, and there being no trouble hiring guards. Way to agitate the hayseeds again. But if they move to Rockford or DeKalb, there'll be plenty of applicants, too.
Don't recall ever visiting the National Portrait Gallery. If it becomes filled with portraits of King Felonious the First — that would be most definitely be a moving museum-going experience. Same as when I dropped some bad acid. From both ends. Code Three...toxic waste spillage in the restroom.
now I'm depressed
ReplyDeleteMy first visit to The National Portrait Gallery was in the 1960s, when I was a young teenager. My older sister and I were visiting our uncle and aunt. Our uncle worked just down the street from The National Geographic Museum. We'd commute with him to his job and then he turned us loose for the day. Two teenagers with a map of D.C. and suggestions from our uncle on where to visit.
ReplyDeleteHe rarely suggested the regular tourist spots. Instead, we were directed to places like The National Portrait Gallery, The Phillips Collection, The Decatur House, The Folger Shakespeare Library, The Woodrow Wilson House, The Textile Museum, The Renwick Gallery, and then we'd save enough time to watch the daily documentary at National Geographic before meeting our uncle back at his workplace.
Fred, I am totally jealous of your teenage visits to DC and wish I had an uncle like yours. I hope you fully appreciated what was yours.
DeleteThat sort of vacation visit continued, Jill, over the next 55 years. That uncle grew up on the west side of Chicago, a family of 5 living in one room behind their small grocery store. No wonder he probably spent more time in the Marbro Theater watching movies than at home.
DeleteHe and his wife eventually moved from D.C. to a suburb of New York City, so I wound up getting the same sort of suggestions for touring around NYC. He read the NY Times and Wall St. Journal every day, and would periodically send me clippings of articles that he found interesting. Movies, theater, politics, book reviews... he'd attach a note to some: "Let's discuss."
Luckiest nephew ever.
Something to look forward to; Trump’s proposed Garden of National Heroes. 250 life-sized statues in one spot. But the location hasn’t been picked. Supposed to be ready for Independence Day 2026.
ReplyDeleteNational portrait, galleries are a greatly undervalued resource. In London, many years ago, my wife had to drag me into the British National Portrait Gallery, and five hours later, had to drag me out.
ReplyDelete