In praise of the modern
June 9th, 2009
Every day brings more wonderful things about having Barack Obama as president. The photo above may seem relatively unimportant, but it’s great to have a president who both looks at modern art and isn’t afraid of a photo opportunity that shows him looking at modern art.
I don’t think Kandinsky will swing many votes, but I think the Obamas’ visit to the Centre Pompidou is tacit recognition that going to museums is a hugely popular pasttime in the US. It’s just one that doesn’t get recognized politically ever.
Photo from The Official White House Photostream
June 10th, 2009 at 12:35 pm
And, he’s looking at modern art while in France! At a Russian painter who was a friend of Trotsky!
It’s so endearing that I’ll even forgive The Official White House Photostream for spelling the artist’s name wrong: it’s Kandinsky (as you spelled it, and the Centre Pompidou website spells it: http://is.gd/XWpg) not Kandinski.
In the comments under the photo on Flicker, the (mis)spelling is mimicked: shows the power of the slightest presidential gesture, I suppose.
June 12th, 2009 at 5:00 am
Wonderful – anyone who goes there has their consciousness changed, in a very good way.
Another great discovery is Prague’s modern art gallery at Veletrzni Palace. A stunning modern building (actually from 1928) and a fresh, eastern look at the idea of modernity.
June 15th, 2009 at 2:21 pm
[...] Knobel over at Davos Newbies has an interesting take on this. He points out that not only did the Obama family choose to visit a modern art museum (the [...]