D.C. burlesque club Sax continues its tradition of mixing Romanesque decor with political art this election cycle. Guests to the lavish downtown club can enjoy paintings of President Obama and presidential contender Mitt Romney while reclining on plush red seats and taking in some dancing.
Owner Errol Lawrence sees nothing unusual about decorating his rococo burlesque club with the faces of two political leaders who will likely never set foot in his club.
“We’re in D.C.,” Lawrence said, as if it was the most obvious answer in the world. “And everyone can identify these guys.”
The sexy nature of Sax’s previous political art is absent — murals of Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinsky and Anita Hill with Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas have sadly been painted over. Lawrence has been working with artist Balage Balogh to come up with fun ideas for Romney and Obama.
“Obviously, they are two boring guys,” he said. “They have no scandals. They have no ex-wives.” Without scandal to draw on for subject matter, Lawrence has focused on the idea that the election is a fight.
“It’s just to make light of these guys going at it every day,” he said. Controversy is not the aim.
Currently two Romney and Obama paintings hang in Sax, and more are on the way. Lawrence says the next painting will feature Obama and first lady Michelle, Joe and Jill Biden, Mitt and Ann Romney, and Paul and Janna Ryan “having toasts together.”
“They’re celebrating,” Lawrence explained. No word on where this bipartisan pictorial toastfest will be displayed.
