An Artsy White House?

ABC News' Sunlen Miller reports:   What kind of taste in art do the Obamas have?   The White House today released a list of 45 artworks that will decorate the Obamas private residence, West Wing offices, and the East Wing. The First lady’s office says Michelle Obama worked with curators from the White House and the museums to select each of the pieces.   All of the pieces are on loan from various museums from the Hirshhorn to the National Gallery of Art, among others.    Some of these pieces of art were in place on Inauguration day – per the request of the First Family. In the many months since the Obama has rounded out their loaned collection.   Harry Cooper, a Trader of Modern and Contemporary Art at the National Gallery of Art says the Obamas chosen collection has what those in the art world call “wall power.”   “A lot of it is really important and pretty powerful. It has wall power. It looks powerful on the walls. Strong works which are visually arresting.”   Cooper described the Obama’s collection as “really mainstream paintings.”   “I think there’s a great range of work – both abstract work and figurative work and within the abstraction. There’s very clean geometric paintings as well as more expressive paintings.”   The National Gallery of Art loaned the White House many of the paintings and Cooper said they were all struck by the Obamas request for modern and contemporary art – such as Mark Rothko, Richard Diebenkorn, Giorgio Morand, Sam Francis, Edward Ruscha, Susan Rothenberg , and Jasper Johns.
Loaned art in the Residence
• Josef Albers – Homage to the Square: Elected II – Hirshhorn Museum
• Josef Albers – Homage to the Square: Midday – Hirshhorn Museum
• Josef Albers – Study for Homage to the Square: Nacre – Hirshhorn Museum
• George Catlin – A Crow Chief at His Toilette – National Gallery of Art
• George Catlin – Camanchees Lancing a Buffalo Bull – National Gallery of Art
• George Catlin – Grassy Bluffs – National Gallery of Art
• George Catlin – Mired Buffalo and Wolves – National Gallery of Art
• George Catlin – Cheyenne Village – National Gallery of Art
• George Catlin – Grizzly Bears Attacking Buffalo – National Gallery of Art
• George Catlin – Game of the Arrow-Mandan – National Gallery of Art
• George Catlin – A Foot War Party in Council-Mandan – National Gallery of Art
• George Catlin – Ball-Play Dance-Choctaw – National Gallery of Art
• George Catlin – Buffalo Chase, with Accidents – National Gallery of Art
• George Catlin – Catlin and Indian Attacking Buffalo – National Gallery of Art
• George Catlin – K’nisteneux Indians Attacking Two Grizzly Bears – National Gallery of Art
• Edward Corbett – Washington, D.C. November 1963 III – National Gallery of Art
• Edgar Degas – Dancer Putting on Stocking – Hirshhorn Museum
• Edgar Degas – The Bow – Hirshhorn Museum
• Richard Diebenkorn – Berkeley, No. 52 – National Gallery of Art
• Nicolas De Stael – Nice – Hirshhorn Museum
• Sam Francis – White Line – National Gallery of Art
• Winslow Homer – Sunset – National Gallery of Art
• Jasper Johns – Numerals, 0 through 9 – National Gallery of Art
• William H. Johnson – Booker T. Washington Legend – Smithsonian American Art Museum
• William H. Johnson – Children Dance – Smithsonian American Art Museum
• William H. Johnson – Flower to Teacher – Smithsonian American Art Museum
• William H. Johnson – folk Family – Smithsonian American Art Museum
• Glenn Ligon – Black Like Me #2 – Hirshhorn Museum
• Giorgio Morandi – Still Life – National Gallery of Art
• Giorgio Morandi – Still Life – National Gallery of Art
• Louise Nevelson – Model for “Sky Covenant” – National Gallery of Art
• Susan Rothenberg – Butterfly – National Gallery of Art
• Mark Rothko – Red Band – National Gallery of Art
• Edward Ruscha – I think I’ll . . . – National Gallery of Art
• Alma Thomas – Sky Light – Hirshhorn Museum
• Leon Polk Smith – Stretch of Black III – National Gallery of Art
• Unknown Artist – Chief Jumper of the Seminoles – National Gallery of Art   Loaned art in the West Wing
• Frank O. Salisbury – President Harry S. Truman – Harry S. Truman Library, Independence, Missouri – Cabinet Room
• Lucy M. Lewis (Acoma Pueblo) – Vase – National Museum of the American Indian – Oval Office
• Jeri Redcorn (Caddo) – Bottle: Intertwining Scrolls – National Museum of the American Indian – Oval Office
• Steve S. (Iroquois) – Jar – National Museum of the American Indian – Oval Office
• Maria Poveka Martinez (San Ildefonso Pueblo) – Jar – National Museum of the American Indian – Oval Office
• Samuel F. B. Morse – Telegraph Register patent model – National Museum of American History – Oval Office
• John A. Peer – Gear Cutter patent model – National Museum of American History – Oval Office
• Henry William’s 1877 steamboat feathering paddlewheel patent model – National Museum of American History – Oval Office   Loaned art in the East Wing
• Alma Thomas – Watusi (Hard Edge) – Hirshhorn Museum – East Wing   Not yet placed
• Mark Rothko – No. 17 [or] No. 15 – National Gallery of Art   –Sunlen Miller