George is a portrait of George Washington. Any such portrait is selective (e.g. as a young man, or old); and no portrait (or biography) is ever complete, e.g. each has a bias.  Yet it must be objective art.

 

Art, like science, must strive for objectivity. 

Objectivity, in my sense, is an intention that is the opposite of propaganda. The purpose of art is not to manipulate in the sense of marketing; the value of art is that it encourages you observe or ponder differently.

 

Thus artistic objectivity (like scientific objectivity) requires authentic bias. By that I mean that the artist (as well the scientists) has clearly focused his creativity upon this idea; rather than another. This authentic bias is a value judgement (e.g. that this idea is work worthy of his precious and limited creativity). The obective artist is not motivated to manipulate to a conclusion; but rather motivated to understand an important aspect of a person or an idea. 

​

This painting was painted in early 2015. It contained an image of GW, the Grand Union Flag which GW carried in battle during the revolutionary war, and GW and his men crossing the Delaware river.

 

Then I painted words about Native American Indians upon the painting  that I mis-attributed to George Washington. In double checking my sources I realized my mistake and painted out those words. I mean misinformation can not stand in an objective work.

 

 

My research on George Washington continued. Finally, I decided to paint all of GW's words concerning his slave transactions. I deliberatedly avoided his political statements and other propaganda about slavery. I kept the words regarding his business as a slave owner. The painting thus "completed" was rolled up in a tube for a year.

 

Then I unrolled and stretched it; because I wished to hang it in my home. But the painting was not right. I did more research. I discovered that GW made a list of the slaves which he owned. I read GW list carefully and thus grouped GW's slaves into families (as best I could determine).

 

Thus I painted the slave names of wifes, husbands and children owned by GW upon the stripes of the flag. Now when I ponder GW; he is no longer upon that childhood pedestal as first President of the US; he is pondered without apology as slave owner.

 

The point of this painting is not to influence anyone, as to whether George Washington was a monster, a man of his times, or a great president. The point is simply to correct the bias of the President upon a pedestal by remembering his slaves and slaves transactions. 

​

TNN 9/15/2016