Last Friday I was invited to a Press Preview of The Obama Portraits Tour. The Obama Portraits were originally unveiled at the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery in 2018.
The 5 city tour started at the Art Institute of Chicago and proceeded to the Brooklyn Museum, Los Angeles County Museum, and the High Museum of Art in Atlanta. With The Obama Portraits Tour now being in Houston until May 30th, the tour will journey to the deYoung Museum in San Francisco and will end at the Museum of Fine Arts Boston.
About The Obama Portraits Tour (In Houston)
The Obama Portraits Tour will feature audio-visual elements, Portrait Gallery-led teacher workshops, curatorial presentations, and a richly illustrated book (National Portrait Gallery and Princeton University Press). This special presentation will enhance the conversations surrounding the power of portraiture and its potential to engage communities.
“The very presentation of ‘The Obama Portraits Tour’ and the collaboration of eight premier institutions—the Portrait Gallery included—amidst a global pandemic speaks to the power of portraiture to bring audiences together,” — Kim Sajet, director of the National Portrait Gallery.
Throughout the beginning of time, portraiture has been used to demonstrate power, importance, and virtue. The Obama Portraits Tour is enriched in history as the United State’s first African American President & First Lady is depicted by two African American Artist. As with all portrait paintings, each detail of the Obama portraits was meticulously though out. Artist Kehinde Wiley, is known for painting strikingly vibrant subjects, of mostly African-descent, contrasted by floral or shrubs of greenery as a background.
The flowers in the portrait, African lilies, chrysanthemum, and jasmine are all representative of an important aspect of Barak Obama’s life. The African Lilly, found in Kenya, is significant of Obama’s paternal lineage. The Jasmine flower, native to Hawaii, represents his birthplace. The chrysanthemum have been the official flower of Chicago since 1966, with Chicago being the Obama’s hometown. Just as with Wiley’s various other portraits, he forces the viewer to think about the placement of his subjects to call out social issues and ideas around identity.
The former First Lady, is painted by artist Amy Sherald. The Georgia-born artist is known for painting vibrant contemporary figurative paintings of African-American subjects. Amy Sherald is also known for her viral portraiture of Breona Taylor. The life-size aspect of the painting allows the viewer to look deeply into the eyes of the portrait. Instead of accurately depicting Mrs. Obama’s brown skin tone, Sherald uses her signature greyscale to depict her. The muted skin tone forces the spectator to look deeper into the subject. The vibrant sky blue background is representative of America’s working class and represents Mrs. Obama’s hard work ethic with her personal accomplishments as well as her achievements as a First Lady. Mrs. Obama’s posture is depicted as feminine, vulnerable and soft while being draped in an elegant long while gown that depicts her pure intentions and honesty. Her depiction is contradictory of America’s portrayal of Black women, including America’s portrayal of Mrs. Obama during her time in office, as aggressive, masculine, unchaste, and being a “Strong Black Woman”.
How To Visit The Obama Portraits Tour In Houston
The Obama Portraits are on view at the MFAH until May 30th.
You can purchase tickets online or in-person for The Obama Portraits Tour in Houston.
The Obama Portraits Tour is located in the Caroline Weiss Law Building; 1001 Bissonnet Street, Houston, Texas 77005
