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Bush as porn
Benedict Brogan's Political Blog
The Daily Mail
London
28 August 2007 11:31 AM
Exclusive: Bush porn
Not quite how I intended to get back into action after the holidays, but this I can't resist. Later today Jonathan Yeo will unveil his unauthorised portrait of George Bush. It's been the subject of art world rumour for weeks, but has been kept hidden away in his Cadogan Square studio. I've seen it, and boy, is the White House in for a shock.
In fact, it's a good thing Tony Blair has left the building. It means he won't have to answer the angry calls from his best mate, who will want to know why a society painter with impeccable New Labour connections has reproduced the puzzled face of the most powerful man on earth using pieces of coloured paper cut out from top shelf porn mags. Those of a sensitive nature needn't worry: it's only when you look closely that you notice what the President's face is made of (though I'll tell you this much: he won't like his right ear one bit, as I think that's still illegal in Texas).
The piece is Jonny's way of getting back at the White House and it's supporters, who commissioned him to paint the President for his library several years ago, only to drop him in the wake of the Iraq war amid mutterings that the name Yeo sounded a tad too foreign. Which is ironic given that the son of Conservative MP Tim has established himself as a sought-after portraitist who has painted leading politicians (Tony Blair, Charles Kennedy, he's working on David Cameron), film stars (Nicole Kidman is sitting for him even now) and businessmen (Rupert Murdoch has commissioned him several times). "Bush is someone who doesn't seem to react to criticism on any kind of intellectual or philosophical level so you find yourself resorting to schoolboy humour to get his attention," Yeo says. "This is not about the Iraq war or about his policies. This is just about him. It's supposed to be amusing rather than offensive, to make people smile rather than change their political views."
The picture will go on display at 2pm at the Lazarides gallery in Greek Street. Steve Lazarides is the wheeler-dealer behind Banksy, and the launch of "Bush" - the pun is intended - has been designed with an eye to the current fashion for underground, subversive, interweb "street" art. The unveiling will take place on the pavement, where the shutters will be brought down and the picture exposed.
I'm working on getting a version to put here on the blog a bit later without being sacked or arrested. Apparently the picture took three times as long to produce as a painted portait. Part of the challenge was finding the right skin tones (some magazines are better than others, though I won't mention which ones). To my mind it's provocative, it's skillfully executed, quite beautiful, and funny. Others may feel otherwise, not least Tory neocons who might regret asking Yeo to produce an official portrait of their leader. Gordon Brown on the other hand may decide to ask young Yeo to drop round Downing Street with his brushes. There is nothing new in using extreme images to debunk the powerful and the holy. What is more telling is the reaction. What will puritan, born-again America make of this latest challenge to the First Amendment I wonder?
The Daily Mail
London
28 August 2007 11:31 AM
Exclusive: Bush porn
Not quite how I intended to get back into action after the holidays, but this I can't resist. Later today Jonathan Yeo will unveil his unauthorised portrait of George Bush. It's been the subject of art world rumour for weeks, but has been kept hidden away in his Cadogan Square studio. I've seen it, and boy, is the White House in for a shock.
In fact, it's a good thing Tony Blair has left the building. It means he won't have to answer the angry calls from his best mate, who will want to know why a society painter with impeccable New Labour connections has reproduced the puzzled face of the most powerful man on earth using pieces of coloured paper cut out from top shelf porn mags. Those of a sensitive nature needn't worry: it's only when you look closely that you notice what the President's face is made of (though I'll tell you this much: he won't like his right ear one bit, as I think that's still illegal in Texas).
The piece is Jonny's way of getting back at the White House and it's supporters, who commissioned him to paint the President for his library several years ago, only to drop him in the wake of the Iraq war amid mutterings that the name Yeo sounded a tad too foreign. Which is ironic given that the son of Conservative MP Tim has established himself as a sought-after portraitist who has painted leading politicians (Tony Blair, Charles Kennedy, he's working on David Cameron), film stars (Nicole Kidman is sitting for him even now) and businessmen (Rupert Murdoch has commissioned him several times). "Bush is someone who doesn't seem to react to criticism on any kind of intellectual or philosophical level so you find yourself resorting to schoolboy humour to get his attention," Yeo says. "This is not about the Iraq war or about his policies. This is just about him. It's supposed to be amusing rather than offensive, to make people smile rather than change their political views."
The picture will go on display at 2pm at the Lazarides gallery in Greek Street. Steve Lazarides is the wheeler-dealer behind Banksy, and the launch of "Bush" - the pun is intended - has been designed with an eye to the current fashion for underground, subversive, interweb "street" art. The unveiling will take place on the pavement, where the shutters will be brought down and the picture exposed.
I'm working on getting a version to put here on the blog a bit later without being sacked or arrested. Apparently the picture took three times as long to produce as a painted portait. Part of the challenge was finding the right skin tones (some magazines are better than others, though I won't mention which ones). To my mind it's provocative, it's skillfully executed, quite beautiful, and funny. Others may feel otherwise, not least Tory neocons who might regret asking Yeo to produce an official portrait of their leader. Gordon Brown on the other hand may decide to ask young Yeo to drop round Downing Street with his brushes. There is nothing new in using extreme images to debunk the powerful and the holy. What is more telling is the reaction. What will puritan, born-again America make of this latest challenge to the First Amendment I wonder?