Jerry Saltz

having huge hits of what Werner Herzog called ecstatic truths, which means opening spaces for consciousness to step outside yourself, to slow time down. There's still space for that, but not out there in the market.

having huge hits of what Werner Herzog called ecstatic truths, which means opening spaces for consciousness to step outside yourself, to slow time down. There's still space for that, but not out there in the market.

I said it was s*** because, listen, I loved the Amy Sherald portrait of Michelle Obama, mind you. So these two paintings were presented at the same time. Kehinde Wiley's painting is s***. because it's photo realism. Good for photo realism. It projects an image, you get a picture, you project it, you paint it perfect, you send it to China, they can do it.

I said it was s*** because, listen, I loved the Amy Sherald portrait of Michelle Obama, mind you. So these two paintings were presented at the same time. Kehinde Wiley's painting is s***. because it's photo realism. Good for photo realism. It projects an image, you get a picture, you project it, you paint it perfect, you send it to China, they can do it.

Kehinde has his studio fill in a cuckoo background and sets Barack on an African chair. I guess that's his contribution. And as a painting, it is completely unoriginal. As an image of Obama, it's unlike every other presidential portrait ever made. So it depends how I judge it as a thing, not as what the artist says it is. My wife says no artist owns the meaning of their own work.

Kehinde has his studio fill in a cuckoo background and sets Barack on an African chair. I guess that's his contribution. And as a painting, it is completely unoriginal. As an image of Obama, it's unlike every other presidential portrait ever made. So it depends how I judge it as a thing, not as what the artist says it is. My wife says no artist owns the meaning of their own work.

In other words, each of us, as Oscar Wilde said, when we read a book, we're not reading the author. You're reading yourself. When you read Dante, you are reading yourself into Dante, into Shakespeare, into Mozart, into Jay-Z, into Beyonce, whoever. The other portrait was much better of Amy Sherald.

In other words, each of us, as Oscar Wilde said, when we read a book, we're not reading the author. You're reading yourself. When you read Dante, you are reading yourself into Dante, into Shakespeare, into Mozart, into Jay-Z, into Beyonce, whoever. The other portrait was much better of Amy Sherald.

Bingo. And you know what? There are a lot of artists like that. I can tell you their names if you want to go. They will never make you go deep. What they'll make you do is they'll tell you what you already know and they'll tell you the same thing over and over again. And that's very reassuring. I don't look to art to be reassured. That's also saying, oh, a black woman could be Napoleon.

Bingo. And you know what? There are a lot of artists like that. I can tell you their names if you want to go. They will never make you go deep. What they'll make you do is they'll tell you what you already know and they'll tell you the same thing over and over again. And that's very reassuring. I don't look to art to be reassured. That's also saying, oh, a black woman could be Napoleon.

That's a cool thought, but it would be cooler if you could make it a cooler painting. And he can't do it. And other artists do. Do you know who Dwayne Wade is? I do not know. Who is Dwayne Wade? This is perfect.

That's a cool thought, but it would be cooler if you could make it a cooler painting. And he can't do it. And other artists do. Do you know who Dwayne Wade is? I do not know. Who is Dwayne Wade? This is perfect.

So that's Dwayne Wade, great, great athlete.

So that's Dwayne Wade, great, great athlete.

That's true. It doesn't look anything like him. What I'll say is that is an absolute s***. work of art because it looks like a little mini statue on an idiotic store-bought trophy and it's just got it there's nothing to it other than the pose so you want to and he looks like the rock He looks white, which is fine with me. But, you know, it has no character. It has no ambience.

That's true. It doesn't look anything like him. What I'll say is that is an absolute s***. work of art because it looks like a little mini statue on an idiotic store-bought trophy and it's just got it there's nothing to it other than the pose so you want to and he looks like the rock He looks white, which is fine with me. But, you know, it has no character. It has no ambience.

Well, it's not that important to me. I can see that it could be important to people who worship that person. But I would remind all of those worshipers and fans that all the different pictures of Jesus that they've seen are equally realistic and equal fictions. that they're idealized or de-idealized, or maybe you like Francis Bacon's exploding Jesus. Maybe that speaks to you.

Well, it's not that important to me. I can see that it could be important to people who worship that person. But I would remind all of those worshipers and fans that all the different pictures of Jesus that they've seen are equally realistic and equal fictions. that they're idealized or de-idealized, or maybe you like Francis Bacon's exploding Jesus. Maybe that speaks to you.

What this says is I wanted to be a realist sculptor, and I found a photograph, and I made it without paying much attention to it at all. other than the signature pose.

What this says is I wanted to be a realist sculptor, and I found a photograph, and I made it without paying much attention to it at all. other than the signature pose.