Unveiling the unconventional : Kehinde Wiley's portrait of Barack Obama / Taína Caragol -- "Radical empathy" : Amy Sherald's portrait of Michelle Obama / Dorothy Moss -- The Obama portraits, in art history and beyond / Richard J. Powell -- The Obama portraits and the National Portrait Gallery as a site of secular pilgrimage / Kim Sajet -- The presentation of the Obama portraits : a transcript of the unveiling ceremony.
“Dark, playful, incisive and heartbreaking.” —San Diego Union-Tribune Spanning thirty years of dazzling work—from luminous early love lyrics to often-anthologized Asian American identity anthems, from political and subversive hybrid forms to feminist manifestos—A Portrait of the Self as Nation is a selection from one of America’s most original and vital voices. Marilyn Chin’s passionate, polyphonic poetry is deeply engaged with the complexities of cultural assimilation, feminism, and the Asian American experience; she spins precise, beautiful metaphors as she illuminates hard-hitting truths.
A gorgeous publication that reveals the historical importance of first ladies through portraiture. Each first lady has brought her own priorities and flair to the position that has never been officially defined. They have served as hostesses, trendsetters, activists, and political players. First Ladies of the United States features 84 portraits of the nation's first ladies, as varied in style and representation as the individual women they depict. From watercolors and oil paintings to engravings and photographs, this book celebrates the legacy of first ladies throughout history. First ladies are some of the most scrutinized public figures in the country, praised or criticized on everything from their fashion to their level of political involvement. There's no better way to explore their visibility and lasting impact than with First Ladies of the United States, which places remarkable portraits alongside an insightful essay and lively entries that illuminate the history of the women who have shaped the White House.
A pictorial parade of New Zealand since European settlement, showing the vast changes; the unbelievable growth of some towns and the demise of others. Over 850 photographs tell the story of the early pioneer spirit that gave the country a solid base which generations have built on to make it a country that is today admired and respected globally. Illustrated are the times of celebration and tragedy; the engineering feats that tamed the rugged landscape; New Zealanders who conquered the world with courage and others with ingenuity who were trail-blazers in their field of expertise. To give the reader an instant recognition of the archival pictures featured, colour photographs show the same scene today. The author's concept has been to create a balanced archive of New Zealand in photographic form.
"Published to accompany the exhibition Votes for Women: A Portrait of Persistence at the National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C. (March 1, 2019-January 5, 2020)"--Colophon.
A case study of why Third World countries are still poor, the premise of this book is that while some progress has been made in transforming the political economy of Ecuador, certain behaviors, beliefs and attitudes have kept the country from developing in ways that otherwise would have been possible. As the author asserts, for almost five centuries the cultural habits of Ecuadorian citizens have constituted a stumbling block for individual economic success. Still, he concludes, people's cultural values are not immutable: inconvenient customs can be changed or influenced by the economic success of immigrants. This is the challenge that Ecuador faces in the twenty-first century.
This essential volume showcases portraits of prominent Americans who have influenced the nation's history from its earliest days to the present. It features 150 paintings, photographs, drawings, posters, sculptures, screenprints, and digital video stills carefully selected from the National Portrait Gallery of leading politicians, artists, athletes, celebrities, and scholars. Each image is accompanied by commentary that illuminates the person's life and legacy. Subjects include Mark Twain, Benjamin Franklin, Rosa Parks, Eleanor Roosevelt, Louis Armstrong, Audrey Hepburn, Marilyn Monroe, John Steinbeck, Venus and Serena Williams, Bruce Springsteen, Pedro Martinez, and Oprah Winfrey. Portrait of a Nation is a compelling composite portrait of America.
Based on the popular and revolutionary PBS multiplatform documentary project, an inspiring and striking photographic portrait that brilliantly captures the tumultuous, historic year that was 2020, offering an intimate look at the heart and soul of our national life and what it means to be an American today, revealed through the stories of ordinary people from sea to shining sea. Everyone has a story . . . In January 2020, in celebration of its 50th anniversary, PBS launched an ambitious national storytelling project, American Portrait, inviting people across the country to participate in a national conversation about what it means to be an American today. The multiplatform experience, including a television series that will air on PBS stations nationwide in January 2021, has created a communal voice through the individual stories of participants—each one a unique stitch in the beautiful, diverse quilt that is America. A vivid yet nuanced snapshot of who we are, this visually striking companion volume features more than 400 entries and photographs, all which began with an answer to a simple cue: My American story started when . . . You don’t know what it’s like to . . . My greatest challenge is . . . The tradition I carry on is . . . I was raised to believe . . . What keeps me up at night is . . . I took a risk when . . . When I step outside my door . . . Most days I feel . . . Told by people of all ages, orientations, and walks of life, these unique stories of joy, adversity, love, sacrifice, grief, sharing, triumph, and grace, centered on the themes of family, work, fun, faith, and community, illuminate the struggles, hopes, dreams, and convictions of Americans today. The more we share with our fellow citizens, the more we can see a real, complex, and fascinating representation of our country that is far richer and deeper than headlines and elections tell us. As intriguing, thoughtful, and distinct as the nation it embodies, American Portrait is a photographic manifestation of Walt Whitman’s immortal words, “I am large. I contain multitudes”—and a vital and ultimately hopeful reminder that what we all share is much greater and enduring than what may divide us.
