Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Fabulous John F. Kennedy Painting by the late Rua Longley

A fan in Australia (I have a number of fans in Australia, which is good) recently sent me this email after winning my Rick Santorum Pancakes painting on Ebay-

Hi, Dan - Just got back from Tasmania and was thrilled to see your Obama painting had arrived...it is taking pride-of-place next to my Weird Kennedy painting my mums friend knocked out in 1965.

-which made me curious. I remembered when I was interviewed by the New York Times a few years ago, I mentioned that I thought the Obama art explosion was a contemporary re-phenomena of the comparative Kennedy folk art boom of the 1960's, the latter being a natural extension of the Catholic predilection for iconic imagery.  The writer agreed with that and worked it into the story. So, I very much wanted to view this unknown Kennedy painted by an unknown Australian or New Zealand artist.

Hey Dan hope you like this pair...have to find an appropriate frame for Obama, can't wait to get some Santorum on my wall, I'm watching events develop here in Australia and get a good laugh every day from all the candidates.

Hope you dig the Kennedy, it's been in my family since 1965, I grew up in New Zealand with Jack on one wall, and on the other wall was a sinking ship painting called the Wahine.


Obama Kennedy paintings

Wow!

After another request, my Australian friend was good enough to forward an even better photo-

Here it is Dan... the artist name is "Rua Longley" passed on about five years ago. You can notice a slight tinge in the right hand side that's where my drunk uncle tried to throw it into the fire-place...those Kennedy's are hard to burn.

Obama Kennedy paintings

Thank You, Rua Longley.

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