Saturday, June 21, 2014

Cupcake Katy

Where: National Portrait Gallery

When: through July 6, 2014

Out with the old and in with the new!  In the same place I had gone to see Maya Angelou's portrait last week, there's now one of Katy Perry hanging.  I could make any number of comments on replacing a cultural giant with a pop singer, but it's a bit unfair to expect everyone to live up to the standard of someone as multi-talented as Angelou, so I'll refrain.

The painting itself is quite interesting, a reflection on consumerism, junk food, pop culture and celebrity worship, which is a lot to ask of a painting of a popular singer.  I was reminded of Andy Warhol's work on the same themes; it's nice to know someone's still examining our relationship with "stars" and the influence we allow them to have over our lives and tastes.

Verdict: Not worth a special trip, but if you're in the museum to see something else, it's worth a few minutes to have a look.

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