Ever since the inauguration there have been a smattering of pieces about how the Obamas would redecorate the White House. They were going to use their own funds for their private quarters, Michelle Obama was going to do the children's rooms with items from Pottery Barn, etc.
Today I learned this:
Presidents have access to the entire Smithsonian and National Gallery of Art collections!Wow. That is truly mind-boggling. Take anything you want from the Smithsonian! (Except they are not allowed to take anything that is on public exhibition - they have to select from the 200 gazillion items in storage).
The New York Times has a slideshow of some of the Obamas' selections, including the one above - entitled "I think I'll" by Ed Ruscha - "It deals with the subject of indecision. The work depicts a brilliant red sunset against which Mr. Ruscha has painted phrases like “Maybe ... Yes ... ” and “Maybe ... No ... ” and “On Second Thought.”"
An article by Carol Vogel at the NYT discusses the selections.
The right wingers aren't going to like all of those "un-American" selections!!
ReplyDeleteI have already seen a couple "oh har har he has a painting on indecision..." comments around. But what a horrendous looking painting.
ReplyDeleteI saw some of that too, but from what I've read (and what I would believe), they chose that one with tongue in cheek specifically for the implied humor.
ReplyDeleteI twitched.
ReplyDeleteCan you imagine working in the collections and watching them choose your pet one-of-a-kind painting?
Oh c'mon. They can choose stuff from museums and they don't pick even a single T-rex vertebra, cool mollusk shell, or even a geode of some kind?
ReplyDeleteI want more representation of science!
Personally I would have chosen stained human embryos if it was available. Then again, that might be a bad political decision...