Cool Hunting
Shephard Fairey isn't the only artist to capture the zeitgeist of this historic year through the visage of President-elect Barack Obama. Throughout Miami, Mr. Obama was seemingly everywhere, as works featuring his likeness were given prominence by exhibitors. One couldn't help but feel comforted by this collective embrace of the potential he represents, even as news of the economic crisis continued to put a damper on the fair.
In the Art Miami venue, New York gallerist Sarah Hasted was quick to sell a 2004 portrait of Obama by Martin Schoeller.
At Scope Miami, Keszler Gallery presented Obama silkscreens by Russell Young.
And outside of the Scope venue, one of Los Angeles' most prominent street artists, Mr. Brainwash (aka Thierry Guetta), created a mural of Barack Obama as Superman.


At the Art Basel | Miami Beach Convention Center, Deitch Projects presented "Barack," a 2008 oil painting by Kurt Kauper, while David Zwirner Gallery exhibited "Barack, 2008" by Yan Pei-Ming.
|
previous entry Alan Warburton |
next entry Design Miami 2008: Al Sabah Art & Design |
Work by Asian artists, and those of Asian descent, seemed to dominate the Scope Miami fair this year. The sheer volume on display confirms that Eastern art is gaining sway in Western markets, and rightfully so, as the below selections would support. Rogerio Degaki, a Brazilian artist of Japanese descent, was on exhibit at the Rhys Mendes booth. The vibrant, glittering sculptures looked like anonymous...
by Ariston AndersonFor anyone who has been to Miami Art Basel, the biggest art event of the year in the States, they know that walking the giant halls of the Miami Beach Convention Center, surrounded by some of the best galleries in the world, can be a near religious experience. And veterans know that some of the most amazing new art lies outside of the...
Born and raised in a fishing camp along the banks of a muddy bayou in rural Louisiana, all the esteemed tattoo artist Scott Campbell wanted to do as a youngin' was "draw pictures all day long." That aspiration is today a reality, with the results on display not only on the bodies of some lucky individuals, but in his first major solo presentation opening...
by Ariston Anderson At first glance, the collection of portraits FAS Contemporary's Volta booth appears to be a wall of extremely beautiful women throughout the ages, each one quickly created in delicate strokes of oil paint. But then Monica Lewinsky's face pops out at you and is that Paula Jones? British painter Annie Kevan's solo show features every Presidential girlfriend on record. Although the majority...
Take a moment to think about it, have you ever spoken with an Iraqi or Iraq vet? Addressing the fact that most of us have at least a few questions or curiosities about Iraq and that the country continues to feel foreign to even the most well-informed, "It Is What It Is: Conversations about Iraq," is a recent commission by Turner Prize-winning British artist...
by Ariston Anderson Obama art swept the nation, but his support among the art community wasn't just limited to the states. Renown culture jammer Jorge Rodriguez-Gerada, created a 2.5 acre sand painting of Obama in Barcelona, Spain. Named "Expectation," the piece is made of 650 tons of sand and gravel and was revealed on the eve of Election Day. "People from all walks of life...
