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Michael D'Antuono is an American contemporary artist whose painting style focuses primarily on sociopolitical issues. He is known for his portrait of the U.S. President Barack Obama in front of the Presidential Seal entitled The Truth.
D'Antuono worked as an art director for the New York City advertising agency D'Arcy Masius Benton & Bowles, where he created television campaigns. He also works as a freelance illustrator. [1]
D'Antuono's painting of United States President Barack Obama titled The Truth, which depicts Obama standing in front of the U.S. Presidential seal holding curtains on each side and wearing a crown of thorns, created a great deal of political controversy. D'Antuono planned to unveil the painting at New York City's Union Square on April 29, 2009, to mark the 100th day of Obama's presidency; however, the artist canceled the public unveiling due to an outpour of protests by the religious right, including thousands of e-mails, phone calls, and blog posts demanding the planned exhibit be shut down. [2] [3]
Four years after his initial attempt, D'Antuono was invited to publicly display The Truth along with several other of his paintings at Boston's Bunker Hill Community College Art Gallery as part of their "Artists on the Stump—the Road to the White House 2012" exhibition. This created another controversy. [4] [5] [6] [7] Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights president Bill Donahue and former GOP presidential candidate Herman Cain were among those who denounced the painting. [8]
His piece inspired by the Trayvon Martin tragedy, A Tale Of Two Hoodies, generated discourse concerning the racism faced by African American youth. The painting was listed for sale on EBay but the website later removed because it violated their terms and conditions. [9] The piece was later sold on ArtFido. [10]
Taking aim at the Republican opposition to congressional tax increases, D'Antuono created Who the Hell Is Grover Norquist? in 2012. The work highlights the influence that Norquist, the founder and president of Americans for Tax Reform, holds in the Republican Party. [11]
D'Antuono has also created pieces on corporate influence, dependence on foreign oil, media bias, immigration, outsourcing, Citizens United, and other social and political issues. [12]
D'Antuono's website displays the Picasso quote, "Art is not meant to decorate rooms; it is an offensive weapon in the defense against the enemy." In interviews, D'Antuono has indicated that the purpose of his art is to challenge people to think more deeply about sociopolitical issues. [13]