Paris Hilton portrait is made of pornography

Paris Hilton portrait is made of pornography

NEW YORK — A well-known British artist is exhibiting collage portraits of President Bush and Paris Hilton he made out of porn magazine images.

Jonathan Yeo’s portrait of Hilton was bought by artist Damien Hirst ahead of Thursday’s show opening, said Lazarides Gallery spokeswoman Elizabeth Barrett, who didn’t know the sale price.

Yeo has painted portraits of Tony Blair, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Rupert Murdoch and Prince Philip.

He got the idea for the collages following the cancellation of a commission by the White House to paint Bush in 2004. He made the portrait, anyway, but in the form of a collage using pieces of pornographic magazines.

Barrett said posters of the Hilton portrait, titled “Paris, 2008,” will be sold for $20 each at the gallery.

National Symphony names music director

WASHINGTON — The National Symphony Orchestra has chosen Christoph Eschenbach as its next music director after years of searching.

The German conductor and pianist recently headed the Philadelphia Orchestra.

Eschenbach will also hold the newly created position of music director of the Kennedy Center.

The job will officially start in the 2010-2011 season after Hungarian conductor Ivan Fischer completes his two-year stint as principal conductor.

Eschenbach will come to Washington in November to begin auditions for eight vacancies in the orchestra.

Today’s birthdays

Actress Jayne Meadows is 88. Director Arthur Penn is 86. Actress Sada Thompson is 79. Actress Kathleen Nolan is 75. Actor Wilford Brimley is 74. Producer Don Cornelius (“Soul Train”) is 72. Singer-guitarist Randy Bachman of Bachman-Turner Overdrive is 65. Actress Liz Torres is 61. Actor A Martinez (“LA Law,” “Santa Barbara”) is 60. Singer Meat Loaf is 57. Sax player Greg Ham of Men At Work is 55. Singer-actor-director Shaun Cassidy is 50. Singer-guitarist Stephan Jenkins of Third Eye Blind is 44. Actor Patrick Muldoon (“Melrose Place”) is 40. Singer Mark Calderon of Color Me Badd is 38. Actress Gwyneth Paltrow is 36. Singer Brad Arnold of 3 Doors Down is 30. Rapper Lil’ Wayne is 26. Singer Avril Lavigne is 24.