The President’s Taste in Art

Or perhaps First Lady Michelle Obama’s taste in art. Whatever the case the President and First Lady had a wonderful collection to select from while decorating their new home. One of the many perks of being Commander-in-chief is to have the entire Smithsonian and its myriad of galleries and museums as your own private art gallery. On loan, of course, the pieces are provided to decorate the public and private living quarters of the White House.

Children Dance by William H. Johnson. The Smithsonian

The Washington Post’s Style section recently reported on the First Couple’sselections. And when you’re in the spotlight, or are the spotlight for that matter, everything has meaning. Every piece is has meaning and is communicating some underlying message.

So much for picking a painting because it matches the carpet.

The Washington Post writer is quick to provide the race, ethnicity, sex, and sexual orientation (or lack thereof) of President and First Lady Obama’s artistic cornucopia.

Black Like Me #2 by Glenn Ligon. The Smithsonian

There are works by African Americans (seven paintings from three artists, out of a total of 47) and by Native Americans (four artists contributed three modern ceramics and one abstract painting). There are also 12 paintings depicting Native Americans, by the 19th-century ethnographic artist George Catlin.

But there are still only six works by women, vs. 41 by men. And there are no works at all by Latinos. (A work by the deceased Cuban American artist Félix González-Torres would have filled the gap perfectly, and added a nod to the country’s gay culture. The Smithsonian’s Hirshhorn Museum has one that could have been borrowed.)

Review the entire collection.

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