Artist David Datuna debuts Portrait of President Barack Obama
New York, NY (BlackNews.com) — Birnam Wood Galleries is showing David Datuna: Emblem and Image, an exhibition of the artist’s recent works. This timely exhibition running throughout the final month of the election season, will include several works from Datuna’s distinctive flag series in which the Stars and Stripes are distilled to a dialogue on American culture and identity. But the anchor of the exhibition is a portrait of President Barack Obama titled Mr. President: Legacy that touches on elements of the African-American political and social experience over 150 years. The black and white portrait is comprised of tiny images of Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King and Rosa Parks.
David Datuna conceived the work to mark the climax of the presidential campaign. Seeing the direct link from Lincoln to Obama was simple and straightforward, according to the artist. “But I wanted more,” says Datuna. “I wanted to create a window into the legacy that made Barack Obama possible.” Dr. King and Rosa Parks form the eyes of the portrait.
Among other notable subjects of Datuna’s previous portraits are Vladimir Putin, Steve Jobs and Marilyn Monroe. In February 2012, his portrait of supermodel Natalia Vodianova led the sales at a benefit auction in Moscow for the Naked Heart Foundation, attracting a buyer at $780,000.
Originally from the Republic of Georgia, Datuna now lives and works in New York. He offers us a distinct viewpoint on national identity: a view that reflects foreign roots but is dominated by an embrace of his adopted American homeland. In some ways, it is the perspective of a visitor or keen-eyed guest in a long tradition of discerning foreign observers of America that goes back to de Toqueville.
Like Jasper Johns and other Pop artists before him, Datuna re-imagines our most potent national symbols as art and artifact. His work is a melting pot made visual. Rather than hewing to literal translation of shape and color, some of Datuna’s flag constructions are done in shades of white or black, or as virtual pools on the ground.
David Datuna’s work has been exhibited extensively, including shows in Europe, Russia, China and the United States. This is the sixth solo exhibition of his work and the second solo show in New York. The show runs through November 3rd. at Birnam Wood Galleries. located at 514 West 24th Street, New York, NY 10011. Telephone is (212) 242-2270 and the email is info@birnamwoodart.com. The website is www.birnamwoodart.com and gallery hours are Tuesday-Saturday 10am-6pm or by appointment.
