11th Nov 2009
10 Commandments Used to Create Portrait of Barack Obama
On November 10, 2009, Judy Rey Wasserman completed a new Essence Portrait of Barack Obama using the letters of the text of Exodus 20 ( Ten Commandments) for all the strokes. Below is the portrait plus the artist’s comments about her choice of strokes.
If there were an award for the person who has made the best use of social media and the Internet to date, it would absolutely go to Barack Obama. It is widely understood that Obama won the presidency of the United States due to his incredible and pioneering use of the Internet to reach new and swing voters. Perhaps the presidency is his reward.
As an artist I am creating Essence Portraits and other artworks for a series and show(s) called Essence of Social Media.
Obviously President Obama is one of the celebrities at the very top of my list for this series.
My purpose with the Essence Portraits goes beyond celebrating and commenting on Social Media, such as Facebook, Linkedin, My Space. Twitter, You Tube, etc. My purpose with any Essence Portrait is to show the spiritual, the Source and also the scientific essence within each individual.
I am the founder of Post Conceptual Art theory especially a branch called UnGraven Image I use strokes that are symbols to represent the essential pre-matter/energy of string theory. My symbols are the only set on the planet that is alpha-numeric, phonic and binary, which means they elegantly represent elementary physics’ strings.
Pissarro (a Jew) and Monet (a Catholic), were friends who founded Impressionism to paint the Light, which the understood to be both a religious and scientific reality.
I am founding Post Conceptual Art (painting with strokes that are symbols) painting and sculpting within the branch of UnGraven Image to depict the essential essences, the energy of the universe, which I understand to be both a spiritual and scientific reality.
UnGraven Image’s symbols are the Torah font letter-numbers. This symbol set is also the original font of the Bible. My artistic strokes and processes also always references basic theology held by all denominations and branches of Christians and Jews and also mentioned in the Koran: the Creator speaks the universe into existence beginning with, “Let there be light!” Since the symbols are also always binary, which is synonymous for duality, my work also references concept s of duality, including light/dark, holy/profane and also yin/yang.
The Bible texts for all of my work are selected carefully and prayerfully. For Essence Portraits I consult the people who are subjects if possible for what texts they would prefer.
A while ago I contacted the White House through their web site, politely asking if President Obama had any favorite Bible texts he would prefer me to use for an Essence Portrait of him. Since the Post Conceptual theory of painting with symbols is radically new, I doubt if the intern who handled my request understood it. However, I did immediately receive an emailed reply that my email was received.
My choosing a text for the strokes that would add up to create an image of President Barack Obama was easier than for any other single portrait to date.
Barack Obama’s professional adult life has centered on the law. He is a Harvard trained lawyer who was president of the Harvard Law Review. He has practiced law, taught Constitutional Law, served as a senator (lawmaker) from Illinois and as Chief Executive his job is to uphold and administrate the law.
The basis for the law of the Western and most of the free world is the Ten Commandments found in Exodus 20. This scripture is suitable for the strokes for an Essence Portraits of Presidents of the United States.
Barack Obama’s use of Social Media to gain the presidency and his continuing use of it, especially Twitter (@BarackObama), as a way to reach his citizens, coupled with his strong legal experience made creating an Essence Portrait of him using the letters of the Ten Commandments for all the strokes is an appropriate, even elegant choice.
The image below is large enough that you can pick out some of the symbols strokes!
Exodus 20 – (Barack Obama)
By Judy Rey Wasserman
NEW! Added 11/13/09 Poster of Barack Obama -Ten Commandments at our Zazzle store. And check out the other items for the whole family featuring Judy Rey Wasserman’s Post Conceptual UnGraven Image Art!
Barack Obama for me is the most charismatic president to be ever elected. He also makes great decisions, for example in the ecomomic stimulus package to counter the effects of recession.
Barack Obama is not only a charismatic president but he is a very intelligent and smart person too. I congratulate him for winning a Nobel Peace Prize .
i believe that Barack Obama is the president that the US needs in these hard times. I do not like the local and foreign policy of any Rebublican.
Barack Obama may be a charismatic leader but somehow his economic policies are not that great in my own opinion. But still i am thankful that a Obama is the current president of the unitied states.
i could readily say that Barack Obama will be one of the greatest US Presidents’~`
Barack Obama is the best president,,”
Obama is AWFUL!!!!!!!
barack obama would be listed as one of the greatest presidents of the USA. he is really a great person :
Judy Rey Wasserman is brilliant! This rendition of President Baraq Obama using the Hebrew letters of the Ten Commandments is nothing short of genius. Would I could afford an original Wasserman.
It is breaking the first commandment to have no graven image to use the Hebrew letters of the ten commandments to make an image of a man who thinks he is the messiah