A MAGA artist has decided to appeal his lawsuit against the Smithsonian Institution, in addition to National Portrait Gallery director Kim Sajet, after the US District Court in DC threw out the case for his painting to be displayed at the institution.
Portraitist Julian Raven’s 16-foot artwork titled Unafraid and Unashamed—which depicts a giant Trump head with a falling American flag being rescued by a bald eagle in space—is so extraordinarily patriotic, it served as the backdrop for the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in February, and incited attendees to flock over for selfies.
Despite the popularity of the painting, its artist has grappled with convincing the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery to display Unafraid and Unashamed.
According to court documents, Raven first requested for the artwork to be put up at the Rockwell Museum, an affiliate of the Smithsonian, following Donald Trump’s inauguration in 2017. When that didn’t work out, he turned to the National Portrait Gallery, confident that it deserved a spot alongside portraits of the nation’s other presidents.
To his dismay, the gallery’s director, Kim Sajet, commented that it was “too political” and “too big.”
“The last thing she said to me was ‘It’s no good,’” he recalled.
ht/ illustr8r
The Artist Behind the 16-Foot-Wide Trump Painting Wants It in the Smithsonian https://t.co/RyfvPfnqH9 pic.twitter.com/tFEfnkl7Cu
— DESIGN ART (@fineartandesign) March 12, 2019
Fire the fucking obama parasites running the smithsonian, PBS, etc.
Whats taking so long??
I have to agree with the court. You can’t demand they have to do anything. ut it would look great on a shirt or a poster.
@Anonymous I see, you play the good cop bad cop routine.
Glenn Beck would buy that.
Artists shouldn’t be able to sue their way in to museums or galleries, just as artists shouldn’t be forced to create works against their will.
But, if lefties can sue cake artists, this is a perfect counterpount. Maybe even a better case, if this ‘starving artist’ pays taxes and thereby supports the National Gallery and the Smithsonian… Those curators didn’t build that! Won’t the ACLU take up his case?
No one can force a gallery to display anything if they don’t want to. If that were true, every parent would be able to force them to display their brat’s crayon stick portrait of mommy, daddy, and muffins the kittycat.
If this artist can force them to display his patriotic painting, someone else can force them to display a painting of a satanic orgy complete with children being violated, no matter how vile and disgusting. Be careful what you ask for.
He should take it to the National Portrait Gallery. They love subjects that produce “The Pilgrimage Effect.”
To wit: https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2019/02/obama-effect-national-portrait-gallery/582457/
…
He should bring it to my house. I’ll put it on my front lawn.