NYT Touts White House Artworks, Misses Obvious Copy, Apparent Fraud (Freeper Breaks the Story)

Freeper Investigation ^ | 10-7-09 | Freeper

[Atlas Sneezed]

Yesterday, the NYT ran a story about the White House acquiring art. It included a slide show of a dozen artworks.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/07/arts/design/07borrow.html?_r=1

This Freeper took a look and found one abstract work he admired:

"Watusi (Hard Edge)," by Alma Thomas, a longtime Washington resident who is an African-American painter. Photo: Gift of Vincent Melzac/Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden.

As I admired it, I thought it reminiscent, even derivative of a favorite artwork of mine by Matisse. I recall seeing that one decades ago at the Tate Gallery in London. A giant collage (about ten feet tall) from late in Matisse's life, when his eyesight was failing:

The Snail (L'escargot), by Henri Matisse, Nice-Cimiez, Hotel Regina, [summer 1952-early] 1953, Gouache on paper, cut and pasted, on white paper, 9'4 3/4" x 9' 5" (287 x 288 cm) collection Tate Gallery, London.

I had planned to post them for comparison, and to share my admiration for both. But when I saw them side-by-side, the similarity clarified. I realized that the new one was EXACTLY the same composition as the Matisse, rotated 90 degrees.

Is this fraud? If the new piece has been titled "Homage to Collage" or "Matisse in Blue", I would think the artist wasn't trying to hide the copying. But I wonder whether anyone realized that the artist copied almost every aspect of a famous work to sell her artwork. Perhaps everyone involved knew that this is a re-colored reprint. If not, it seems to be an embarrassment for the "sophisticates" who failed to spot a copy hiding in plain sight.

As too many people say about abstract expressionist art: "Even I could have done THAT!"

[Jeff Chandler]

The original itself is a hoax. Most modern art is.

[machogirl]

kudos. that also looks like something my kids made in grad school. ;)

[fatima]

Looks almost the same Beelzebubba.

[La Lydia]

It is clearly a ripoff of the Matisse. And Matisse used purer, more saturated colors. I believe this was when he started using colored paper because he could not longer hold a paintbrush.

[machogirl]

grade school i meant, not grad school

[Jeff Chandler]

With a little guidance, a four-year-old could make “art” like that.

[G Larry]

Still waiting for an example of “art”....

[Abathar]

Grad school? You paid to have them do that??

[Cletus.D.Yokel]

The Matisse for those with firewalls that block social websites (Facebook)

[kabar]

Great catch. Here is the Matisse:

[RJL]

Obama doesn't care about the art, he's just interested in spreading around other people's money to his friends.

[paulycy]

Here is the Matisse:

My kids used to make those too.

[Lonesome in Massachussets]

Matisse on the Left, White House Art on the Right. Not exactly the same. I always thought that the later Matisse was something of a fraud and and a hack, btw.

[InterceptPoint]

Watusi (Hard Edge)," by Alma Thomas

The Snail (L'escargot), by Henri Matisse

[cripplecreek]

I guess we just aren’t “sophisticated” enough to get it.

[hsalaw]

Clearly a ripoff. Maybe it should be titled “An Homage To A Better Artist Than I.”

[Jeff Chandler]

Here is my great work of art. I call it "Polar Bear in Blizzard":

[Cicero]

Henri Matisse, L'Escargot.

[smokingfrog]

I guess I should be saving my leftover construction paper and turning them into “works of art.”

Maybe I’ll start saving my bellybutton lint too.

[crusty old prospector]

Good catch! But where is the snail in either one of them? I see a cricket.

[TheBattman]

And the Matisse original:

[Trick or Treat]

Could someone post a side by side of these two? It does appear that it is an exact copy recolored.

[Rebelbase]

I’ve seen better in kindergarten classes using poster, construction paper and glue.

[ravingnutter]

grade school i meant, not grad school

With the way they have dumbed down the education system nowdays, it doesn't make that much difference ; )

[kabar]

I would say that Ms Thomas has a lot of ‘splainin to do.

[Trick or Treat]

Never mind! Thanks!

[jagusafr]

“something my kids made in grad school.”

I pray, for the sake of your wallet, that “grad” is a typo and you really meant “grade”.

Colonel, USAFR

[TexasCajun]

Just a little “Artistic Justice”, what’s ah problem here?

[paulycy]

Put this one in the entry hall.

[jagusafr]

Sorry - shoulda scrolled down a little more first!

Colonel, USAFR

[Drango]

bump!!!!!

[Robert A. Cook, PE]

Cute. Real cute.

But notice that the “elite” ABCNNBCBS and their “elite” intelligensia in the “arts community never noticed. And wo’t bring it up that it HAS been brought to their attention.

[SlowBoat407]

[jagusafr]

I dunno, looks a little like the animation from “South Park” to me...

Colonel, USAFR

[SlowBoat407]

You should call it: “Communion for The One”

[ElayneJ]

You agree with Tom Wolfe (Painted Word).

[library user]

ROTFL. Funny typo. Yeah, let’s hope “grad” school required a bit more.

[Trillian]

They could just rename it ‘Boxes trying to squeeze through a door to get stimulus money.’

I think i’ve seen those pictures way too often today.

[Drango]

Dan Rather doesn’t think it’s a blatant copy.

[angkor]

Let's try that side-by-side:

[Pan_Yan]

Matisse Ping

[latina4dubya]

It does appear that it is an exact copy recolored.

yes--and the rip-off is turned on it's side...

[jennyjenny]

Just words art.

[Pan_Yan]

She rotated it 90 degrees and didn’t even bother to rearrange the shapes.

[donna]

Post-it notes.

[Moose4]

We need a Charles-Johnson-esque animated GIF of those two paintings with one rotated 90 degrees so they line up exactly with each other...except we can’t count on him to do it because he’s reverted to his ponytailed liberal pre-9/11 self and is fully sniffing Obama’s Skittles-scented farts.

}:-)4

[Drango]

and the rip-off is turned on it's side...

Someone with better skills than I will overlay and rotate one ....

[hattend]

A giant collage (about ten feet tall) from late in Matisse's life, when his eyesight was failing

Obviously

[Roccus]

She’s dead, Jim.