Kehinde Wiley

Posted on by The Wandering Art Historian

The Daily Show with Trevor Noah had contemporary artist Kehinde Wiley on as a guest last week and it was not only entertaining, but wildly informative.  Wiley is very comfortable discussing art in a setting that is not always conducive to it – a late night chat show – and with people whose knowledge of the art world is questionable.  In the interview, Wiley discussed the understated, yet powerful details painted into the Obama presidential portrait and his recent sculpture “Rumors of War” for the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts.  Wiley also revealed a partnership with the Brooklyn Museum in which Wiley’s painting, “Napoleon Leading the Army Over the Alps” from 2005, will hang next to the painting that inspired it – “Bonaparte Crossing the Alps” by Jacques-Louis David from 1800-1801.

It filled me with great joy to see a contemporary visual artist on a late night chat show discussing his work much like an actor would promote their upcoming film.  Noah did an outstanding job of researching the artwork beforehand as his questions were thoughtful and his interest was genuine.

To view Kehinde Wiley’s interview on The Daily Show with Trevor Noah, please visit…

For more information on the sculpture “Rumors of War,” please visit…

Sculpture Created by Kehinde Wiley for VMFA

For more on Wiley’s partnership with the Brooklyn Museum, please visit…

https://www.brooklynmuseum.org/exhibitions/david_wiley

Leave a comment

The Wandering Art Historian's avatar
I am writer and artist with a degree in art history who loves to talk to people about art. I have spent the last seven years building up The Wandering Art Historian “brand” as a way to connect with people who want to learn more about art. I give lectures and presentations and teach classes and host book club discussions with a creative or artistic connection. I also write about local artists, events, museums, and exhibitions to promote the arts in Central Florida. In 2021, I had a creative crisis. I struggled with authenticity in the art making process. I decided to make myself vulnerable and find out what a real, genuine Adrienne H. Lee artwork would look like. The process was challenging and emotional and revelatory. I learned that if necessity is the mother of invention, then authenticity is the mother of reinvention. I reinvented myself and learned an entirely new medium. The resulting artwork surprised me, and it will surprise you, too. Some people wish for a fairytale ending. For me, the fairy tale is only the beginning.