Monday, April 27, 2015

RX for George W. Bush: More Time With The Paintbrush

Apparently the self-imposed artistic exile hasn't taught former President George W. Bush anything.

When last we heard from the 43rd occupant of the Oval Office, he'd taken up painting in his retirement. Nothing fancy. Certainly nothing revelatory (although not for want of trying to find something, ANYTHING that might explain the psyche of the man that got us into some of the worst shape this country has ever been in), mostly clumsy self-portraits of his back in the shower or his feet in the tub. And dogs. Lots of dogs. I noted here that this was an odd direction to go in, but that it could prove an opening to enlightenment for someone with such a striking lack of awareness. My optimism, alas, was misguided at best.

So it was that Bush emerged from his hideaway, broke his silence and proceeded to criticize the current administration for its handling of the fallout of the war he instigated back in 2002, a war lots of people thought was unnecessary and ill-founded. He made his remarks at a gathering of donors this past Saturday. Some speculate that with his brother Jeb a potential 2016 Presidential candidate, that he would speak up at some point.

Well, now he has.

Beyond the obvious embellishments of recent history, what this shows is that Bush needs more time in the studio. A LOT MORE. He might actually be served by a course or two in art history, particularly the way that art has been used to question authority, call attention to injustice, or, as we do here with our MALADJUSTED series of graphics, point out the absurd, the plainly ridiculous, and the laughably insane that poses as reason. Without getting into it too much, insanity that poses as reason is a lot of what passes for political discourse and debate these days. What FOX News hath wrought is a veritable gold mine for artists and creatives who want to turn their pencils, paintbrushes, WACOM tablets, and various tools to addressing the collective eye-roll and groaning that is cultural expression in these United States, circa 2015.

Meanwhile, our former "War President", will go back to Dallas and paint DOGS.

Lots of dogs.
Tails wagging.
Tongues hanging out while gasping air in a pant before examining their balls.
And marking their territory.
Coming to a Garden Club art auction near you.




You have been warned.


More Later
KCD

Visit www.theworkofart.net


P.S. I didn't know this, but those folks over at the Garden Club are a bunch of environmental radicals! I mean, they are down with clean air and water, and preservation of natural open spaces and native plants. The very idea. Check it out here.

Who knew?



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