Tuesday, January 13, 2009

More on Obama at NPG

Yesterday I told you that the Shepard Fairey portrait of Obama had been acquired by the National Portrait Gallery.

Obama portrait by Fairey

Today I learned from my colleague Martin Irvine, whose fine DC art gallery represents Fairey, that the work had been acquired through the generosity of my good friends and ubercollectors Heather and Tony Podesta.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

so the fact that your good friends donated the piece make it OK and somehow remove your earlier (valid) criticism of the work not being executed from a live seated model? not to mention the lingering controversy of intellectual property violations that the artist currently faces?

Lenny said...

Why would that change anything? I don't get your issue with me?

The earlier issues that I raised still stand on their own, regarless of who the donor is.

The answer is no, it doesn't make it OK.

Why would it?

Anonymous said...

It was merely a question for clarification - and not meant to be an accusation.

Because, reading this follow up post about the collectors on its own, you made no reference back to your earlier post which so perfectly expressed the controversy.

Glad to hear the issue is still on the table and I look forward to perhaps reading another follow up posting if & when you hear back from NPG about the collage not having been executed from a live model sitting for it.

Lenny said...

OK...

The first paragraph in the post is linked to the earlier post about the NPG, I thought that was enough.

No probs!

The issue still stands...

Best,

LC