The Artsy Podcast, No. 71: What the Obama Portraits Tell Us about Art and Politics
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The official portraits of former United States President Barack Obama, painted by Kehinde Wiley, and former First Lady Michelle Obama, by Amy Sherald, were presented at the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C. earlier this month. Upon unveiling, the portraits became two of the most widely-debated works of contemporary art in years. On this episode, we sat down with curator Eugenie Tsai and writer Antwaun Sargent to discuss the impact and legacy of these two historic portraits.
This podcast is hosted by Artsy Associate Editor Isaac Kaplan, joined for this edition by Brooklyn Museum senior curator Eugenie Tsai and freelance writer Antwaun Sargent. It was produced by Associate Editor Abigail Cain.
Intro music: “Something Elated” by Broke For Free
Additional music: “Wild Ones” by Jahzzar
Cover Image: © 2018 Pete Souza. Courtesy of the National Portrait Gallery, Washington D.C.