Portrait of Barack Obama, sold at auction
ARTinvestment.RU   17 июля 2008

Collage depicting U.S. presidential candidate of the Democratic Party at their charity auction. Author - one of the main representatives of «street art» Shepard Feira

As the artinfo.com , recently at a charity Online auction Charitybuzz was put up a portrait of U.S. presidential candidate of the Democratic Party Barack Obama (Barack Obama) called OBAMA HOPE ( «Obama - Hope»). This work - a collage of screen performed in triplicate. All proceeds from the sale of work go into the charitable fund Russell Simmons (Russell Simmons), supporting the arts in New York youth.

collage with a portrait of Obama created Feira Shepard (Shepard Fairey) - one of the most promising artists of the United States and the most famous representatives of «street art» (Street Art), Street Art, or, as it is called, «Urban Art »(Urban Art), close to the graffiti. The first tags (bad read the names of artists who performed spray paint or marker) appeared on the walls of American cities in the 1960's. And in the 1980's graffiti-artists included in the global art establishment. Many of them began to write graffiti on a canvas and sell them in galleries and at auctions. Now the popularity of the famous «writer» (the creators of graffiti), as Jean-Michel Basque (Jean-Michel Basquiat), and Keith Haring (Keith Haring), higher than ever. Recently unnamed painting from the collection of Basque rock group U2 5 million was sold at Sotheby's auction for 5 million pounds . But his work did closer to graffiti than street art. Most of the Street Art show that the foundation of graffiti - the text, while their art is based primarily on the image. Unlike the creators of graffiti, street artists, instead of spray paint using stencils, which are causing to the city walls of pictures (mostly collage), often affecting the extent and abundance of detail. That is creativity, and the Basque Haringa - Art Wall, transferred to canvas, and the art of street artists - an art canvas, transferred to the wall. Recently, Street Art, as well as graffiti, is experiencing unprecedented popularity. Recently, the famous street artists, including the duo Faile from New York, photographer JR from Paris, and Brazilian artists Os Gemeos ( «Gemini»), razukrasili facade of one of the most famous museums of modern art in the world - London's Tate Modern. The most famous representative of Street Art is an artist called Banksy, whose works sold at auction for more than 600 thousand dollars. But this creator, however, have to hide: not all love, when the walls of the city for no reason with this appear strange picture. If incognito is disclosed, the famous artist shines for a long period of vandalism.

As for the Feira Shepard, the 38-year-old artist residing in Los Angeles, known for its «political» works. Since the late 1980's, he put on the streets of U.S. cities, Europe and Asia, many slogans Andre the Giant has a Posse ( «A giant Andre have Armed Forces») and OBEY ( «keep»), parodies the totalitarian propaganda. It is also known for his provocative posters and collages, kleymyaschimi the war in Iraq and President Bush. Of course, now that the pacifist Feira (like the majority of American street artists) supported Barack Obama, promising to cease hated war. Now, for his work OBAMA HOPE buyers offering 60 thousand dollars. Online bidding will last until July 24.

Julia Maksimova

Sources: artinfo.com , charitybuzz.com , artinvestment.ru