The Emerging Artistry of Hunter Biden

Contact Your Elected Officials
The Atlantic Magazine

His upcoming solo show is a headache for the White House—and a window into the murky finances of the international art market.

At some point in the coming weeks, hundreds of thousands of dollars will be funneled to the son of the sitting American president—and none of us will know anything about who sent the money, or where it originally came from, or why anyone chose to send it in the first place.

The transactions will nominally center on artwork created by Hunter Biden, President Joe Biden’s son. After spending years working alongside post-Soviet oligarchs—work that complicated his father’s anti-corruption efforts in Ukraine—Hunter has tossed on a new hat as an emerging “artist.” CNN has reported that his debut shows—one in Los Angeles, another in New York—will be held in late September, though the dates haven’t been announced (which may be because of the scrutiny the sales have received). Whenever they happen, Hunter will make the transition from unqualified oil-and-gas adviser to budding Basquiat—and will offer his artwork to the highest bidders his gallery can attract. The sales have raised concerns that buyers will purchase the art to curry favor with the president, creating an ethics minefield for the White House.

Hunter’s artwork isn’t bad, per se. A certain base-level skill is evident in the paintings. Sebastian Smee, the Pulitzer Prize–winning art critic for The Washington Posttold CNN that Biden was comparable to “a cafe painter. By which I mean, you see a certain kind of art in coffee shops, and some of it is OK and a lot of it is bad, and sometimes it’s surprisingly good. But you wouldn’t, unless you were related to the artist, spend more than $1,000 on it.”

Unfortunately for the White House, the people about to profit from Hunter’s foray into the art world are anticipating far higher returns—and suddenly presenting the Biden administration with a new Hunter-related headache. Hunter’s gallerist, Georges Bergès, has said he’s expecting as much as $500,000 for some of the paintings. That’s a pricing echelon that would put Hunter, a person with no formal artistic training, “in the very top tier of emerging artists,” according to Artnet. (“The whole thing is very, very weird,” added Artnet’s Ben Davis, not least because the Bergès Gallery’s previous best-known client was Sylvester Stallone.) For his part, Hunter has been clear about what he’d say to those questioning the propriety of his shows: “Other than fuck ’em?”

By Casey Michel

About the author: Casey Michel is a writer based in New York. He is the author of the forthcoming book American Kleptocracy: How the U.S. Created the World’s Greatest Money Laundering Scheme in History.

Read Full Article on The Atlantic

The Thinking Conservative
The Thinking Conservativehttps://www.thethinkingconservative.com/
The goal of THE THINKING CONSERVATIVE is to help us educate ourselves on conservative topics of importance to our freedom and our pursuit of happiness. We do this by sharing conservative opinions on all kinds of subjects, from all types of people, and all kinds of media, in a way that will challenge our perceptions and help us to make educated choices.

Obama Floats ‘New Forms of [State-Controlled] Journalism’

Notorious nemesis of civil liberties one and all, Barack Obama, ]apparently endorses a heavy state hand in the “regulation” of information.

Privilege Is Financial, Not Racial

If we stay divided by race, we’ll keep fighting each other while the true elites of all races thrive unseen, counting their wealth in comfort.

California Repeats Illinois’ History, PROSECUTE Newsom!

California may have improperly licensed 62,000 illegal aliens as Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) truck drivers.

The Stage Is Set For A US-Instigated Security Dilemma Between The Eurasian Rimland & Heartland

The US sends mixed signals on the Sino-Russo alliance after Trump downplayed concerns while Hegseth said he was ordered to “re-establish deterrence.”

Chambers of Horror

Using a shutdown to legislate is like using a flame thrower to light a candle, it provides light momentarily but destroys everything in its path.

New Mexico to Roll Out Free Universal Child Care On Nov. 1

New Mexico to become first state to offer no-cost universal child care to legal residents after ranking worst state in the country for child well-being.

More Than 140 Illegal Immigrant Truck Drivers Among 223 Arrested in Indiana Sting

Federal agents arrested over 140 illegal immigrant truck drivers in Indiana during a highway operation targeting public safety threats nationwide.

Brooke Rollins Denies USDA Has Money to Fund SNAP as Suspension Looms

Agriculture Sec. Brooke Rollins denied reports that her agency has money to pay for the SNAP that will be cut or suspended for beneficiaries Nov. 1.

FBI Foils Alleged Halloween Terror Plot, Arrests Multiple Suspects in Michigan

The FBI prevented a potential terrorist attack over Halloween weekend and arrested multiple suspects in Michigan, FBI Director Kash Patel said on Oct. 31.

US, South Korea Finalize Trade Deal Reducing Tariffs, Boosting American Investment

The U.S. and South Korea finalized a major trade deal on Oct. 29 as President Trump wrapped up the final hours of his Asian tour on the Korean Peninsula.

Trump, Japanese PM Sign Critical Minerals, Rare Earths Deal

The U.S. president visited Tokyo on the second leg...

Trump Hikes Canada’s Tariffs by 10 Percent for Not Pulling Anti-Tariff Ad Immediately

Trump announced he will increase tariffs on Canada by 10% after ad by provincial government of Ontario misrepresented President Reagan’s speech on tariffs.

Trump Rolls Back Emissions Rules on Copper Smelters

President Trump issued a proclamation aimed at reversing a Biden-era environmental rule that enforced stricter air emission standards on copper smelters.
spot_img

Related Articles

Popular Categories

MAGA Business Central