McNaughton Answers Questions Regarding “Obamanation.”
What do you hope to accomplish?
Someone once said, “there is nothing more irritating than being awaken from a sound sleep”—I hope to wake up a few. If anyone is undecided about voting for Obama, please study the painting, take the challenge, share it with your friends and help us to expose this man and vote him out of office this November.
Are you doing this for the money?
No. I paint what is important to me, but I know there are many who feel the same as I do about Obama. I am a professional artist. I make my living providing a service and I get paid to do it. The vast majority who view my work never pay a nickel. They pass it around on the Internet with their friends or see it on someone’s wall.
This is just propaganda.
It seems funny that when a liberal artist paints a political motif it is called artistic expression, but when a conservative does the same thing critics call it “propaganda.” When I think of propaganda I think of early twentieth century war posters commissioned by the Nazis and Communist regimes. It usually conveys a negative meaning, so I know why my critics like to use it to describe me. But I am not the government! I am simply one individual, a citizen of this country using my first amendment rights to speak out through my art.
Do you think this is art?
What is art? There are many certified art experts who would love to tell you the answer. Their opinions mean little to me because I only paint to satisfy my desire to share a message. For me, art has a way of communicating both thoughts and feelings that words fail to adequately express. If my art causes another to think and to feel, it is a success. I use metaphor and symbol because it leaves more for the viewer to discover, but for the few who choose to take the time to study I have the interactive website where I meticulously explain my images. I paint realistically because it communicates to the broadest audience. I paint political and religious subject because they are close to my heart. Whether someone from the history books could have painted it better means nothing to me. My art is an expression of the times in which I live and people will know how Jon McNaughton felt about being alive at this time in our history.
Is the original for sale?
Yes, and prints are also for sale on the website.