Bush's 9/11 Paintings Mark 25th Anniversary
Former President George W. Bush has created 16 new paintings for the 25th anniversary of 9/11. The exhibition opened at his Dallas presidential center.
Former U.S. President George W. Bush has unveiled 16 new paintings to mark the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks. The exhibition, titled "Remembering 9/11," opened at the George W. Bush Presidential Center in Dallas on Tuesday and will remain on view through September 30.
According to the museum's website, the works "reflect on the courage, sacrifice, and resilience that emerged from one of the most defining moments in American history." The precise subjects of most paintings have not been made public. However, the institution is promoting the show with an image of one artwork. It depicts a helmet and flowers placed on memorials for firefighters who died in service on 9/11. One of those firefighters was Peter L. Freund. He was 45.
From President to Painter
George W. Bush has cultivated a notable second act as a painter since leaving the White House. He has no formal art education. His work has been dismissed by some as amateur. Yet it has also attracted unexpected praise. Pulitzer Prize-winning critic Jerry Saltz once argued in a 2013 review that "The Whitney Museum of American Art should get on the stick and offer this American a small show." The Whitney has not done so.
Bush's artistic subjects have ranged widely. He has painted immigrants to America. He has attempted self-portraiture. He has depicted campus life at Southern Methodist University in Texas, home to a center bearing his name.
The Context of the Attacks
The 9/11 attacks were carried out by the al-Qaeda network. The group described the coordinated hijacking and crashing of four planes as retaliation against U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East. Bush was president during the attacks and the subsequent launch of the "War on Terror."
The Exhibition's Focus
The new collection is explicitly commemorative. Its stated goal is to honor the response to the tragedy. The museum's description emphasizes themes of collective national character in the face of crisis. The single previewed painting focuses on a specific, personal loss within the larger event.
The show is a personal project for the former president. It is housed within his own institution. The exhibition runs for the entirety of the anniversary month, concluding on the final day of September.
