Created from an original section of the 1962 genoa of Manitou, this artwork celebrates one of America’s most storied presidential yachts. Affectionately known as “The Floating White House”, Manitou became President John F. Kennedy’s favourite retreat - a place where diplomacy gave way to the freedom of the sea.
 
Set against the iconic façade of the White House, the composition brings together Manitou and her celebrated Sparkman & Stephens sisters. Their elegant forms appear to sail across the nation’s most recognisable residence, creating a symbolic meeting of American political leadership and maritime excellence.
 
The weathered sailcloth itself is the artwork’s canvas. Rather than concealing its age, the piece embraces the patina of a sail that once carried a President, allowing its creases, stitching and years at sea to become part of the composition. The yachts are reimagined through bold blocks of colour and modernist abstraction, echoing the visual language of Pop Art and recalling Andy Warhol’s celebrated portraits of Marilyn Monroe.
 
The connection is more than artistic. Marilyn Monroe famously sailed aboard Manitou with President Kennedy, and one of the yacht’s most enduring stories recalls her relaxing below deck with a glass of champagne in a bubble bath - a moment that has become part of the mythology surrounding America’s most famous presidential yacht.
 
Created from the very sail that once harnessed the wind for President Kennedy, this artwork unites history, architecture, sailing and popular culture. It transforms an original piece of Manitou into a contemporary celebration of one of the most captivating chapters in American maritime history.