Artist Spotlight: Jon McNaughton, Painter of Presidents

By Mieka Strawhorn | Politics | April 28, 2018 |

By Mieka Strawhorn | Politics | April 28, 2018 |

Utah artist Jon McNaughton gained moderate attention during the Obama administration for his strident, anti-Obama paintings. One painting called “The The Forgotten Man,” depicts Obama standing on the constitution while ignoring a blond “Sad Keanu” (sans sandwich, so even sadder) who sits dejectedly on a park bench as all the other presidents are all “WTF, dude!” Sean Hannity bought that one as a gift for the incoming Donald Trump to hang in the oval office.

@seanhannity just purchase my painting The Forgotten Man to give to President Trump to hang in the White House. pic.twitter.com/UmP6h1KPjI

— Jon McNaughton (@McNaughtonArt) November 9, 2016

Donald Trump himself is the subject of Jon’s latest masterwork which he revealed this week on Twitter. Kehinde Wiley, have a seat. You’re no longer needed. Here’s Jon’s soul stirring work, “Teach a Man a Fish.”

My new painting, "Teach a Man a Fish." —- "You can give a man a pole. It doesn't mean he will use it." —-JonMcNaughton.com pic.twitter.com/yEvMO8sBZo

— Jon McNaughton (@McNaughtonArt) April 25, 2018

Nothing but respect for MY painter of presidents!

Given that art is subjective, and beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and one man’s trash is another man’s treasure, this highly original masterwork wasn’t to everybody’s liking. Sadly, the philistines of twitter felt a need to chime in with cynical criticism and ridicule.

Yes. Thank you. It is the key portrayal of a common man patiently showing an erratic elite, who insists on fishing in the woods,how to select the appropriate fishing lure. Perhaps there is a steam, river, or lake in the foreground. God only knows?

— Timothy Cole (@timelyrepairs) April 28, 2018

why is alec baldwin holding a fishing rod in the middle of a forest

— Patrick Donnelly (@donnelly612) April 27, 2018

Holy shit didn’t notice this, love the McNaughton easter eggs. Shout out to my favorite book, “Justice Warrior” by Lena Dunham pic.twitter.com/Db2e9YLje6

— Aaronn O))) (@gib_gab) April 27, 2018

"Teach a Man to Grift"

— Jim Lippard (@lippard) April 28, 2018

As if mocking the painting’s subject matter and the artist’s rendering of Donald Trump wasn’t enough, some also mocked Jon for his typing skills and/or grammatical failings.

“Teach a Man a Grift” Please, respect the format.

— Normcore Rockwell (@holycalamity) April 28, 2018

Here’s Jon discussing this important work with the help of some equally important stock photos.

Prints of “Teach a Man a/to Fish” can be purchased from the artist directly.