Words by Sarah Achler.
M+B, an L.A. based gallery known for it’s focus on contemporary art and dedication to displaying works of both established and emerging artists, has recently opened their newest exhibition starring none other than our 44th president of the United States, Barack Obama.
Titled “Barack Obama: The Freshman”, these rare black and white photographs taken by Lisa Jack at Occidental College in 1980, tell the story of a young charismatic man simply searching for his purpose in life. Like every college kid, “Barry” Obama was just a confused freshman unsure of his future, but Jack saw him as an ideal subject for her portrait project. Capturing a period in his life he likes to refer to as, “just going through the motions,” these photographs allow our generation the rare opportunity to see the president of the United States as a regular person with real life issues and not just some power hungry automaton in a suit. Unseen by the public until their debut in Time Magazine’s 2008 “Person of the Year” Issue, Jack released these forgotten photographs, “so that others may see a side to him [she has] yet to observe captured in the maelstrom of contemporary media”.
Check out a few more pics below, and the more info about the exhibition here.
