Art -- Not Necessarily the Work of Superior Souls

This picture is inspired by George W. Bush's paintings that have been circulating around the Internet recently, after they were stolen from his email account.

I was moved by the paintings, strangely and very much. Three of them are self-portraits in the bath and shower. They have a sad and guilty mood to them, I think, and a Lady Macbeth-type longing for cleanliness.

(That's what inspired my take-off.)

I am surprised that I like art made by a president I hated. And I am extremely annoyed with myself for being surprised.

I've always disliked when people talk about art as something only a select few people can do well -- people with superior souls. I always thought that, since everyone has a soul, anyone can make great art, as long as they go about it right.

My reaction to Bush's paintings proved to me that I didn't really believe that at all.