Obama 전대통령부부 공식 초상화 마침내 그모습 베일 벗겼다.- 왜 부러워 보일까?

마침내 전 대통령, Obama 부부의 공식 초상화가 모두의 축복속에 그베일을 벗었다.

첫단계로서, 스미소니언 국가 원수 초상화 갤러리에, 다른 미국 대통령들의 초상화가 박물관에 전시된 전례에 따라, 베일을 벗고 전시된 것이다.(Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery, a rite of passage)

CNN이 보도한 이뉴스를 보면서, 나의 조국 대한민국을 생각해 보지 않을수 없었다.  대부분의 전직 대통령들은 은퇴후의 생활이 거의 보장돼지 못하고, 새로 정권을 잡은 정부의 눈치를 보느라 전전긍긍하거나, 아니면 감옥에 붙잡아 넣은 악순환이 현재도 계속되고 있기 때문이다.

세계 4대 스포츠인, 하계,동계 올림픽, 월드컵축구, 그리고 세계육상선수권 대회를 주최한 나라가 지구상에서는 한국을 포함하여 5(프랑스,독일,이탈리아,일본, 그리고 한국)개국에 불과 하다는, 엄청난 자부심을 갖고 있으면서, 정치적으로 세계 최하위권을 벗어나지 못하는 불행한 나라인점이 믿어지지 않을 정도로 안타깝기만 하다.  이제 평창 동계 올림픽이 끝나면, 이명박 전 대통령을 검찰이 조사하게 될것이라고 한다.  문통의 전임 정부의 대통령은 이미 감옥에 붙잡혀 들어간지가 거의 일년이 돼가고 있다.

미국이라고 해서, 전임 정부의 잘못을 지적하지 않은적은 없었으나, 한국처럼 범죄 혐의를 씌워, 전임 정부의 대통령을 찰창행으로 보내거나, 검찰의 조사를 받았다는 뉴스는 봤거나 들어본적은 없었던것으로 기억하고 있다.   미국도 4대 스포츠 대회를 개최하지 못하고 있는 나라임을 볼때, 한국은 위대한 나라인것은 틀림없으나, 정치꾼들의 속좁아터진,도토리 키재기식의 소아적 발상과, 상대방 흠집을 지혜롭게 풀어가지 못하고, 죽기 아니면 살기식으로 대쉬하여 정적을 완전히 죽여야만 발쭉뻣고 잠잘수 있다는 Preoccupation 에 사로잡혀 있기 때문이리라.

Washington (CNN)Barack and Michelle Obama re-emerged on the public stage Monday in Washington, only this time for an event that has nothing to do with politics. 

The former first couple's official portraits were unveiled at the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery, a rite of passage for most former presidents, all of whom have their portraits hanging in the museum.

These are perhaps the most anticipated presidential portrait unveilings to date, due in large part to the artists the Obamas selected. The former president chose Kehinde Wiley, a Yale University-trained painter famous for his depiction of African-Americans posed in the style of Old Master paintings, regal, formal and filled with pops of color. 

"How about that? That's pretty sharp," the 44th president said as he took the podium. The portrait depicts him sitting against a backdrop of green foliage.

"I tried to negotiate less gray hair and Kehinde's artistic integrity would not allow (him) to do what I asked," Obama joked. "I tried to negotiate smaller ears. Struck out on that as well."

Michelle Obama said she "was a little overwhelmed, to say the least," after her portrait was unveiled.

Wiley is the first African-American artist to execute an official presidential portrait for the National Portrait Gallery.

The juxtaposition of contemporary urban culture with centuries-old postures and wallpaper-like backgrounds make for bold paintings, of which Obama's is Wiley's most famous to date. 

Wiley apparently took thousands of photographs of Obama in order to create the portrait, a process different than the typical "sittings" required for most portraits.

"What I was always struck by when I saw his portraits was the degree to which they challenged our ideas of power and privilege," Obama said.

For her painting, Michelle Obama chose Baltimore-based artist Amy Sherald. Sherald is another African-American artist known for her unique style, and her portraits also tend to underscore themes of social justice. She often paints black skin tones in gray as a way to take away the assigned "color" of her subjects. Sherald's work is less about realism in composition and more about shape and color; like Wiley, the choice of Sherald ushers in a new era of presidential portrait.

"Amy, I want to thank you for so spectacularly capturing the grace and beauty and intelligence and charm and hotness of the woman I love," President Obama said.

The former first lady said she was thinking about the impact Sherald's work will have on "girls and girls of color."

"They will see an image of someone who looks like them hanging on the walls of this great American institution ... And I know the kind of impact that will have on their lives because I was one of those girls," she said.

The Obamas looked at the portfolios of more than two dozen artists before deciding on Wiley and Sherald. Obama's portrait will hang in the hall of presidents and the former first lady's will be placed in another gallery. Both will be open to public viewing on Tuesday.

CNN's Andrew Dunn contributed to this report.

https://www.cnn.com/2018/02/12/politics/obama-portrait-unveiling/index.html

https://www.cnn.com/style/article/barack-michelle-obama-official-portraits-unveiled/index.html