Muhammad Ali Signed Print by Steve Kaufman

Considered one of the top “pop” artists in the world, Steve Kaufman’s silk-screened canvases should instantly bring to mind the work of the most famous pop artist of all time, Andy Warhol. This is no coincidence. For the better part of a decade, the young Kaufman was a friend and apprentice of the great Warhol, gaining such trust from both the artist and his supporters that Kaufman finished a number of Warhol’s incomplete commissions after the master’s passing. Yet, while the influence is undeniable, Kaufman’s work takes the genre’s sophistication a step further, bringing the image into a greater context through a sort of “collage philosophy” that’s apparent in the offered work.

Steve Kaufman’s talents repose in such collections as Calvin Klein’s and Steve Rubell’s, among many other renowned patrons. As well, he’s provided compositions for Las Vegas’ Caesar’s Palace, The Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame, and the Vincent van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam. In 1996, Kaufman was commissioned to create a limited edition series of Muhammad Ali portraits titled “The Greatest.” Ali himself said of the series, “The style and dynamic color that Steve Kaufman used in these portraits really captures the memory of my boxing career. These are the best I’ve ever seen.” Kaufman creates each print individually with a combination of silk screening and hand-painted touches, providing each one to express a greater sense of immediacy and fluid meaning. Offered here is number 20 in the limited edition of 99. Add Ali’s perfect felt tip “10” autograph – a conspicuous four-inch signature – to the exquisite composite, and there’s rendered one of the finest tributes to this sporting hero in the collecting world. Kaufman also added his signature and the edition number to the back of the Near Mint canvas. The display is as it would come from the artist – stretched across a traditional wood setup. A magnificent piece, measuring 31″ x 45″.

PSA-DNA Auction House Letter

Boxing,Signed  Andy Warhol,Muhammad Ali,Steve Kaufman

Auction End: 06-Mar-07  Post Views: 2369

Price; $0.00 – $0.00