Glenn Ligon gets Obama's vote

[n2doc]

The youngest artist chosen to grace the walls of the White House, the 49-year-old Conceptual painter has a show opening in L.A.



By Hunter Drohojowska-Philp
December 11, 2009


Compared to the conservative choices of previous administrations, the art that the Obamas selected for the walls of the White House living quarters was mostly contemporary art by mostly living artists. Among them was New York-based Glenn Ligon, who, at 49, was the youngest artist to have his work chosen.

The news took a while to reach Ligon.

"No one called me so when I heard about it, I thought it might be a rumor," he said Wednesday, as he helped install his work for a show at Regen Projects in West Hollywood that opens Saturday. "Then I saw my work in a list of images in Smithsonian Magazine."

The 49-year-old Conceptual painter considers it an honor, and, he says, "I'm glad to think it is in the living quarters, to be where they sleep, eat dinner, where they will be able to see it. That part, I was thrilled about."

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/arts/la-et-glen-ligon11-2009dec11,0,5191261.story

[Kdillard]

1. Thanks I read an article about the pieces the Obama's had selected to put

In the White House and I was pleasantly surprised.

[Clio the Leo]

3. Oh he likes modern art.....

.... he mentions eating at the MOMA for lunch a lot when he was at Columbia and I think the Chicago Modern Art museum was one of the first places and he and Michelle went when they were dating.

What a difference from.... (2:00 mark but the whole thing is pretty funny)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FpPQdcnC9iU

[Clio the Leo]

2. And this is it....

"Black Like Me, No. 2"



I think they should also borrow this one....



A big controversial maybe ... but I like it. Appropriate.


And I bet this one is in his office...

Ed Rusha's "I Think I'll...."

[Cha]

4. Wow! Not my taste but have at it Prez!

What a way for the artist to find out.:)

[depakid]

6. No accounting for taste in art

A good friend of mine runs a contemporary gallery in LA and can tell you in (long winded) detail about how impressive these paintings are and how they (apparently) fit in with this movement or that.

I attended one memorable opening some years back of what I called "the toothpaste paintings." LOL.

He ended up selling out the show- getting $20,000 - 30,000 apeice for these works- so who am I to say?

He got surely the last laugh.

[kid a]

5. Love it...very good story and I like the art! k&r