Robert McCurdy and Sharon Sprung spoke with Artnet News about what went into their long awaited, newly unveiled work.
The Artists Behind the Obamas’ New White House Portraits on Barack’s Fashion Sense and Why Michelle Isn’t SmilingSeptember 9, 2022
In the wake of the unveiling, Artnet News caught up with both McCurdy and Sprung, who painted Barack and Michelle respectively, to learn more about their historic experiences. The former president and first lady collaborated with Thelma Golden to select the artists for all four portraits, inviting prospective painters for interviews at the Oval Office before making final choices.
U.S. artist Robert McCurdy , who painted the official White House portrait of former US President Barack Obama, departs after attending the unveiling ceremony of the Obama’s portraits, in the East Room of the White House in Washington, DC, on September 7, 2022. McCurdy’s portrait of Barack gives him with a stoic demeanor. The painter has a detailed artistic process, starting with an involved photoshoot and ending with months of working on a canvas.
In Sprung’s painting of Michelle, the vivid colors are obvious—but pattern is a huge part of her thinking as well. “All of our world is patterns,” she said. “If you look at the animal kingdom, if you look at nature, we’re inundated with patterns. I think they reflect, unconsciously, a lot about how we feel.” While the patterned couch behind Michelle Obama draws attention, Sprung considers the pleats of the first lady’s blue dress her real tour de force.
Canada Latest News, Canada Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
County official arrested in connection with murder of Las Vegas journalistRobert Telles was arrested Wednesday night during a SWAT operation at his home, ABC News confirmed.
Read more »
Art Industry News: Two U.S. States Have Started Taxing NFTs, Previewing Fundamental Changes for the Crypto Trade + Other Stories | Artnet NewsPlus, meet the U.K.'s new culture secretary, and Harry Styles stars in a film about a museum-curator love triangle.
Read more »
Politico’s New Owner Under Fire for Email Complimenting Trump AdministrationPolitico's new owner is facing criticism from the left after washingtonpost published an email sent by him voicing support for Donald Trump. See potential bias and similarities in coverage from FoxNews, axios, and newrepublic:
Read more »
A busy week in American politics, a return to school in Uvalde and hope of avoiding a deep recession | Hot off the Wire podcast🎧 Get a recap of some of this week's top stories through this special edition of our daily news podcast.
Read more »
A busy week in American politics, a return to school in Uvalde and hope of avoiding a deep recession | Hot off the Wire podcastGet the latest news on Hot off the Wire, our daily news podcast.
Read more »
Ukrainian Counter-Offensive Pushes Back Russian ForcesAfter months of stalemate, Ukrainian forces have punched through Russian lines in the eastern region of the war. See potential bias and similarities in coverage from NBCNews, Reuters, and nypost:
Read more »