King of Pop Art: Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson by Kehinde Wiley
AW: OK, its clearly ridiculous, but at least this painting by Kehinde Wiley, unveiled at Art Basel, Miami Beach has a sense of humour. Unlike the comments posted on the Art Newspaper’s article: http://www.theartnewspaper.com/articles/The-work-the-King-of-Pop-commissioned-but-never-saw/19815
Here is a sample:
- awful
- Seriously?!? This guy is a freak
- This is fucking stupid…it really is…
- What a piece of shit. That would go great in the freak house in any amusement park.
- The total effect is just — it’s just, it’s — a total piece of crap.
…and they go on. Who knew the art ‘appreciating’ public could be so catty?
If we consider the image for a minute away from the art context it seems like a piece of typical ‘Wacko Jacko’ presentation. When he wasn’t dressing up like a zombi or Jesus, he was usually in his ‘King of Pop’ personal; he even called his son Prince.
He apparently collaborated closely in the production of this portrait, discussing art history with the artist, with whom he exchanged art books, although he died before it was complete. The picture is an essay in Baroque portraiture, quoting heavily from Van Dyke, Rubens and others. Although it is mainly postmodern, sub-Koons Pop.
But unlike Koons’s famous Michael Jackon and Bubbles, this is as much the work of MJ as it is Wiley’s. In that way it is typical of Jackson’s approach, cleverly collaborating with producers to realise his vision.
Perhaps its not a great work for a painter, hoping to be taken seriously at ‘the most important art show in the United States’. But this is not the work of a serious painter. It is the work of the ‘king of pop’. And perhaps we should stop taking it so seriously and start giving Jackson the credit he deserves. Its funny. Come on, it is!
