The man who would be king …
In Kehinde Wiley’s 2010 commissioned portrait of Michael Jackson, the King of Pop is presented in the guise of a monarch of yore, atop a steed, in deluxe armour.
Man in the mirror …
It is not intended as a reverent copy of the Rubens portrait referenced in the title. The original’s angel here becomes a pair of infant cherubs, there are flowers and Wiley’s horse has better hair.
Look again …
What’s most important is the switcheroo Wiley has worked on art history and the power structures enshrined in works by the old masters: a world ruled by rich, straight, white men.
Got your money …
It’s brazenly kitsch and it’s meant to be. Wiley’s glittering career has seen him depict street-cast black men, hip-hop stars and Barack Obama in this revisionist style.
Double trouble …
However, his work has an intentionally troubling edge. His body-beautiful models are both celebrated and uncomfortably objectified.
Included in Michael Jackson: On the Wall, National Portrait Gallery, WC2, to 21 October
