Posted on 10/08/2009 12:05:05 PM PDT by Atlas Sneezed
Yesterday, the NYT ran a story about the White House acquiring art. It included a slide show of a dozen artworks.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/07/arts/design/07borrow.html?_r=1
This Freeper took a look and found one abstract work he admired:
"Watusi (Hard Edge)," by Alma Thomas, a longtime Washington resident who is an African-American painter. Photo: Gift of Vincent Melzac/Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden.
As I admired it, I thought it reminiscent, even derivative of a favorite artwork of mine by Matisse. I recall seeing that one decades ago at the Tate Gallery in London. A giant collage (about ten feet tall) from late in Matisse's life, when his eyesight was failing:
The Snail (L'escargot), by Henri Matisse, Nice-Cimiez, Hotel Regina, [summer 1952-early] 1953, Gouache on paper, cut and pasted, on white paper, 9'4 3/4" x 9' 5" (287 x 288 cm) collection Tate Gallery, London.
I had planned to post them for comparison, and to share my admiration for both. But when I saw them side-by-side, the similarity clarified. I realized that the new one was EXACTLY the same composition as the Matisse, rotated 90 degrees.
Is this fraud? If the new piece has been titled "Homage to Collage" or "Matisse in Blue", I would think the artist wasn't trying to hide the copying. But I wonder whether anyone realized that the artist copied almost every aspect of a famous work to sell her artwork. Perhaps everyone involved knew that this is a re-colored reprint. If not, it seems to be an embarrassment for the "sophisticates" who failed to spot a copy hiding in plain sight.
As too many people say about abstract expressionist art: "Even I could have done THAT!"
I get it. I get infuriated with people who were never slaves demanding “reparations” from people who never owned slaves, yet the direct descendants of victims of the Nazis cannot recover identifiable stolen property.
I would certainly accept that if it or another article says it was a “study”. Till then it’s the worst plagiarism and you have to wonder why it was hanging in the Smithsonian.
HAHAHAHA.
Too much!!!!!!!!
Regards,
Brian L.
You're a genius.
Good work! Great eye.
Maybe someone should alert Sarkozy. heheheh
>>> I guess I should have scrolled down a bit ... <<<
Me too. Oh well.
In any case I don’t see why a copy is called a study is called art.
I’d buy your “Polar Bear in a Blizzard” and hang it in my house before I’d pay good money for those other paintings.
At least I’d be certain it was an original. LOL
That would be racist!
I guess if you can’t get the Matisse original, you have to settle for a Thomas knockoff.
Actually, having read this entire thread, I’m beginning to think that the real story here is about the Obamas:
Apparently, this artist has a unique style, and I liked the other piece shown here from her. But when the Obamas went to choose a piece to honor this African-American artist, the picture they chose was:
A copy of some white guy’s art.
LOL...
I bet they just asked for some famous paintings by African Americans and the Smithsonian sent it over..
Copycat!
Very nice but see my #168 - side by side the Matisse clearly has curves in some shapes that cannot be matched by rotating and re-sizing - still a very nice graphic. Do you think it looks like a tracing style copy? I can see a tracing being done and some of the original curves being “straightened out” when going from shape edge to edge ... ;-)
http://michellemalkin.com/2009/10/08/do-the-watusi-art-imitation-and-the-obamas/
http://snappedshot.com/archives/4107-Fraudulent-Art-in-the-White-House.html
http://www.riehlworldview.com/carnivorous_conservative/2009/10/forged-obama-art.html
http://minx.cc/?post=293405
contrats on the michelle malkin link. ;)
you got me started on that. many years ago, we took our kids to see the “Monet” traveling exhibit at the Phx Art Museum.
After “Monet” we went upstairs to see other “art”.
(1) Toe and finger nail clippings stored in a desk or jar.
(2) USED QTIPS WITH EAR WAX, stored in a desk or jar.
they both were stored in something that was open or clear.
someone got paid for that? i throw away my qtips every day.
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