George W. Bush, the Artist and the Apocalypse

Former US president George W. Bush (2001-2009) is immersing himself in the art world and has created some rather surprisingly interesting portraits of world leaders, most of them he encountered during his presidency, arguably the worst one ever in the US history.

Image source: George W. Bush Center

During his horrible and incompetent presidency, George W. Bush (GWB) was often criticized as an imbecile ninny occupying a high office due to his fabulous family connection - his father Georg Bush was the president of the US from 1989 to 1993.  To me, that argument was incorrect and way too benevolent.  GWB did many horrible things not due to his stupidity, but his fundamental believe in those horrible things.

To me, this painting of mine below, The Triumph of Saint George, created during the time he was drumming up the invasion of Iraq in 2003, reflects what he was; the painting also jump-started my ongoing Apocalypse Series, to commemorate the miseries of humankind.


Triumph of Saint George, Oil on Canvas, 48" x 30", 2003

GWB was surely not stupid, and to his credit that he started to learn to appreciate art in his retirement.  Too bad, nobody had convinced him before his political ascendency that his spending more time in his own studio and many museums, rather than in Oval Office, would have benefit the humanity more, much, much more.

It was just as tragic and regrettable as the Akademie der bildenden Künste Wien's refusal to admit the artistically frustrated young Adolf Hitler.

C'est la vie.


Other Related posts on Art · 文化 · Kunst:
- The Modern Art Iraq (Online) Archive
- Politics and Profits
- Herakles, not Hamlet
- "The Triumph of Saint George" (2003)
- My "Apocalypse Series" on Synchronized Chaos Webzine
- Tragedies of Our Time
- Thoughts on Originality
- My Featured Work - Portrait Painting "Grandma"