We call this this IHTM original work Sideways Woman. Anyone have Michelle's number?
An artist who is actually a rip-off artist has had her work quietly removed from the walls of the White House.
Yes, the Obamas have ditched a painting by Alma W. Thomas that was to have adorned the wall of Michelle’s East Wing office.
“The reason why it was moved was because it didn’t fit the space right,” said Semonti Stephens, the first lady’s deputy press secretary.
Others, however, say the White House removed Thomas’s work because it is a blatant rip-off of “The Snail” by the French artist Henri Matisse? Is it really possible that Thomas’ creativity was limited to turning turning Matisse’s work 90 degrees and changing the colors a bit?
No, of course not. No way. Don’t be silly. That’s crazy talk.
The Washington Post quickly slipped into righteous indignation to defend Thomas’ work:
Stephens’s explanation makes sense because it is inconceivable that the White House’s art experts would imagine Thomas’s painting was fraudulent or a copy. From the time of its birth, it would have been clear that Thomas’s work was an homage; “The Snail” was extraordinarily famous when Thomas painted “Watusi.”
Thomas’s painting was first exhibited in the ’60s. At that time, you could no more plagiarize a Matisse collage such as “The Snail” than you could pass off the “Mona Lisa” as your own.
Elaborations on earlier artists’ work, even full appropriation, have been common practice in art for hundreds of years. Artists long learned their craft by copying the works of older masters; even among high artists, it was standard.
Yeah, right. And the work shown with this article is our own original creation, too. It’s not a rip-off, it’s an homage to Leonardo da Vinci.
Source: Washington Post
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{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
The WaPo is so far off it is funny. No legitimate artist copies another. That is the most taboo thing in the art world! NO ONE DOES THIS! That painting was a direct affront and attack on the intelligence of all in the art world-I highly doubt it was shown anywhere when she completed the piece. She just hoped no one would notice. Any idiot with a half witted knowledge could see that was a Mattise rip off-she just hoped that the dumbing down of the US was complete when she robbed the american tax payers of 40 grand or so by selling it to the morons in the White House…..How can we expect someone as classless as the Obamas to know enough about art to know a Mattise knock-off when they see one? Michelle can’t even dress herself-heck with 27 concubines, she can’t even dress herself. She needs to fire her entire staff, as does barry, for letting something like that even make it to the walls of the WH, let alone for paying real money for it. My son who is 4 could slap together some paint and cut outs to make something more attractive than a Mattise, let alone a Mattise knock-off. I guess the Obambis really do have no taste!
When I saw the picture, I didn’t know it was a knock-off, but I didn’t think it was a good painting either. I don’t like Picasso either! His paintings are just plain weird, and the people who buy them are just plain stupid.
So much for “research” before spending our money. This is so typical of the present administration. The Obamas are so prejudice! They saw one thing in the painting: African American artist. Don’t get me wrong; we should have representation from lots of different artist from our great nation (except the law breakers and anti-American artist— why should we support them with tax payers’ money). I would like to know what all they bought, who they bought them from and did we get our money’s worth or did another Obama-supporter get a kick back? And finally and most importantly… I am an artist and glad that our country supports the arts “to a point!” But right now our country is poor. Why are we spending money to decorate the White House? Get us out of debt, cut taxes, and the people can afford to buy art.