Photo: NYC Mayor’s Office/Jon Friedman
We count at least fifteen screens in Michael Bloomberg’s official City Hall portrait, painted by the artist Jon R. Friedman and unveiled today. With less than 48 hours left to define his legacy, the city’s 108th mayor assured he will be forever remembered for his office bullpen — the Wall Street–style open-office floor plan at “the center of the Bloomberg administration’s bureaucracy” — and his barely concealed frown.
Even less traditional than the high-tech background is that psychedelic likeness painted by Ismena Halkiewicz. The Manhattan artist once considered giving it to Bloomberg, but, “Everyone said it isn’t his taste and he would have rejected it.” It’s currently for sale on Craiglist.
