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Mr. President

A work made of silver-dye bleach prints (12).

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  • A work made of silver-dye bleach prints (12).

Date:

1987

Artist:

Robert Heinecken
American, 1931–2006

About this artwork

A photographer who rarely used a camera, Robert Heinecken appropriated images from film, magazines, and television to satirize American popular culture, from standards of beauty to obsessions with sex, war, and food. In this series of images, he photographed a television set as President Ronald Reagan—who famously maintained a controlled and polished image in the press—held a news conference during the Iran-Contra affair. Taking snippets of Reagan’s remarks out of context and presenting them in a composite narrative, Heinecken revealed a new meaning that is at best ambiguous and at worst dangerously manipulative. By focusing on the television as a seductive medium that shapes political dialogue, Heinecken critiqued the unquestioned reception of messages and urged viewers to challenge the rhetorical implications inherent in everyday political discourse.

Status

Currently Off View

Department

Photography and Media

Artist

Robert Heinecken

Title

Mr. President

Place

United States (Artist's nationality:)

Date  Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

Made 1987

Medium

Silver-dye bleach prints (12)

Dimensions

Each: 28 × 35.5 cm (11 1/16 × 14 in.)

Credit Line

Gift of Boardroom, Inc.

Reference Number

1992.577.1-12

Extended information about this artwork

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

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