Michelle Obama Added to Peyton Exhibition
New Museum Includes To-be First Lady in Elizabeth Peyton Exhibit
Nov 6, 2008
This vivid painting was done earlier this year, depicting Michelle Obama and her daughter Sasha. Titled "Michelle and Sasha Obama Listening to Barack Obama at the Democratic National Convention August 2008," the work was added to the ongoing exhibition "Live Forever:Elizabeth Peyton.
This is the first time this painting is on public view. It was not a part of the original exhibition, but the museum and the artist said that if Barack Obama won the elections, it would include it in the retrospective. The painting well represents Peyton's style of using a colorful palette and her tendency to paint public figures. In the past, her subjects have included rock star Kurt Cobain, Prince Harry, and Abraham Lincoln.
A Special Exhibit: "Live Forever: Elizabeth Peyton"
The exhibit "Live Forever: Elizabeth Peyton," taking place at the New Museum in SOHO, New York, is the first survey of the artist's work in an American institution. It includes more than 100 works covering the past fifteen years.
Born in 1965, Peyton grew up in Danbury, Connecticut, where her father and stepmother had a candle-making business. She was born with only two fingers on her right hand, and so she learned to draw with her left hand. New York magazine named her one of the 100 Most Influential New Yorkers for 2006.
Her work reflects influence from 19th century modernists as well as 20th century pop artists such as Alex Katz and Andy Warhol. Peyton shares many similarities with Warhol in that both liked to paint public figures and use vibrant colors.
Peyton's Infatuation With Portraits
Peyton's selection of subjects tends to be very personal or very popular. Some of her portraits are of friends and family, while others are of celebrities and European royalty. She seems to have a special connection to pop musicians, as can be seen in portraits of Kurt Cobain, the band Oasis, John Lennon, and Eminem. Her portrait of John Lennon, fetched $800,000 at auction in 2005.
Peyton's fascination with faces was also seen in an exhibit held earlier this year at the Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum. (Peyton was the recipient of the 2006 Larry Aldrich Award, which is awarded to artists that have a significant impact on visual culture.) The exhibit featured some 50 photographs, many of which are those of people.
Peyton also has a strong inclination towards young male subjects-- apparent both in her paintings and her photographs. Most of the men depicted in her artwork are the bohemian artist types-- pale, scrawny, and scuffy.
"Live Forever: Elizabeth Peyton" will be exhibited at the New Museum until January 11, 2009. It will then travel to London and Maastricht, Netherlands.
*Related Article: Read about the architecture of the New Museum
