OBAMAS DECORATE THE WHITE HOUSE WITH MODERN AND ABSTRACT ARTWORKS

IN A TRADITION DARTING BACK TO THE CAMELOT YEARS OF THE KENNEDY ADMINISTRATION, PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA AND THE FIRST LADY, MICHELLE OBAMA, HAVE CAREFULLY PICKED STUNNING ARTISTIC WORKS FROM THE NATION'S MUSEUMS TO DECORATE THE FAMILY'S PRIVATE QUARTERS IN THE WHITE HOUSE. THE FIRST FAMILY HAS DECORATED THEIR PRIVATE SPACES WITH MORE MODERN AND ABSTRACT ARTWORK THAN HAS EVER HUNG ON THE WHITE HOUSE WALLS. NEW PIECES BY CONTEMPORARY AFRICAN-AMERICAN AND NATIVE AMERICAN ARTISTS ARE ON DISPLAY. BOLD COLOURS, ODD SHAPES, SQUIGGLY LINES HAVE ARRIVED. SO, TOO, HAVE SOME OBSCURE ARTIFACTS, SUCH AS PATENT MODELS FOR A GEAR CUTTER AND A STEAMBOAT PADDLE WHEEL, THAT NOW SIT IN THE OVAL OFFICE. WORKS BY RENOWNED NAMES FROM THE MODERN ART WORLD SUCH AS JASPER JOHNS AND MARK ROTHKO ARE RUBBING SHOULDERS WITH LESSER KNOWN ARTISTS AS ALMA THOMAS, AN AFRICAN-AMERICAN ABSTRACT PAINTER OF THE 1960s AND 1970s. THOMAS' 'WATUSI (HARD EDGE)' NOW HANGS IN THE EAST WING, WHERE MICHELLE OBAMA HAS HER OFFICES. THE ACRYLIC ON CANVAS, ON LOAN FROM THE HIRSHHORN MUSEUM AND SCULPTURE GARDEN SHOWS A JUMBLE OF GEOMETRIC SHAPES IN BRIGHT RED, BLUES AND GREENS.
THE OBAMAs GOT TO WORK SELECTING NEW ARTWORK FOR THE WHITE HOUSE EVEN BEFORE THE INAUGURATION AND HAD THE FIRST PIECES INSTALLED ON DAY ONE. OTHER PIECES HAVE ARRIVED ONLY IN RECENT WEEKS. AND THERE'S A ROTHKO PIECE, 'NO.17 OR NO.15', IN LIMBO THAT THEY HAVEN'T QUITE DECIDED WHAT TO DO WITH IT. WORKING WITH CALIFORNIA DECORATOR MICHAEL SMITH AND WHITE HOUSE CURATOR WILLIAM ALLMAN, THE OBAMAs HAVE BORROWED DOZENS OF WORKS FROM VARIOUS WASHINGTON MUSEUMS AND GALLERIES, BEING SURE TO USE ONLY ITEMS THAT WEREN'T ALREADY ON DISPLAY. OTHER RECENT FIRST FAMILIES HUNG A FEW MODERN PIECES IN THEIR LIVING QUARTERS, BUT NONE APPROACHED THE SCOPE OF THE OBAMAs, ALLMAN SAID.