Exposed: Copies in Controversy

Following and combining two of my recent posts is another quirky story. An Alma Thomas work was loaned to the White House by the Hirshhorn Museum thus creating a mini controversy with her painting, "Watusi (Hard Edge)." The 1963 painting is extremely similar to a 1953 piece entitled L’Escargot by Matisse. As we know many painters copy favorite paintings as part of their developmental process as well as their dialog with art. Copies, elaboration, appropriation and more are all common grist for the mill these days.

Anyway, there was a lot of comment on line and the painting was removed from the White House. The White House press office says,"it was moved because it didn’t fit the space right."

Take a look and see what you think...

Above: Henri Matisse, The Snail,1953 Below: Alma Thomas, Watusi (Hard Edge), 1963; courtesy of Flavorwire.

Now who's that artist?

I ran into a group of bikers on tour recently who were all talking about the wonderful artist who created the art for their cycling shirts. They are all signed and considered a collectible. The bikers love the imagination of her designs.

I may have been asleep through most of Art History 101 which met at 8:00 a.m., but these images are not by Picasso or Roy Lichtenstein or Louise Lawler, or Sherrie Levine, or Shepard Fairey, so...who's the "artist"?