Giant Robot: The Art of Obama

[Starry Messenger]

http://www.artofobama.com/2008/12/12/giant-robot-57/



Just a heads up there is a great "dead tree" issue of Giant Robot that you might want to get before it is sold out. I am an artist, so the art response to Obama has been really interesting to watch this year. There has been some great art, and it's gotten a lot of support from the man himself, which is a trend that I hope continues.


"Ken Harman Hashimoto, of Oakland, CA, saw his site, The Obama Art Report, go from just a few hits to 15,000 a day before the election. "My original reason for starting it was that I felt it needed to be documented, archived, and catalogued," he says. The thriving secondary market lent credibility to the strength of the Obama art scene, but Hashimoto pointed out cases when people were overpricing prints on eBay and steered people to lower-priced alternatives.

The most expensive print? Hashimoto cites the original Shepard Fairey print as the most valuable. He's seen prices soar to $5,000-$8,000, although the market has since cooled.

Hashimoto, who also chronicles as many images as he can find, estimates "there are about 20 mainsream 'name' artists who take up most of the online press given to this art movement." Hashimoto explains with a hopeful tone. "On Flikr, there are hundreds upon hundreds of uncredited art pieces of Obama. But the majority, nobody knows who they are.""




As far as I know, this article will not be available online, so hustle on down to your local brick & mortar to get a copy. There is also a great interview with Maya Soetoro-Ng if art is not your bag.

[Starry Messenger]

1. Why yes, I do shamelessly kick my own threads. Thank you for asking.

Link to Obama Art Report:

http://www.obamaartreport.com/

[camera obscura]

2. I love that site!

[Starry Messenger]

3. I do too!

There is a lot of quality stuff on there. I hope someone is putting together an art book. I like the internet for things, but books are still the best.

But this is nice:

http://www.obamaartreport.com/2008/12/barack-obama-cube-craft.html

[NYC_SKP]

5. Kicking your kick...

...that's how I roll...

I recall the moveon competition for Obama short video pieces, a year ago, very good submissions.

Has there ever been anything even close to the response in the arts to a candidate, ever?

No, not even close. Graphic arts, music, video, it makes me very proud.

Thanks for the info and link.

:kick:

[Starry Messenger]

7. Maybe Nixon. But not in quite the same way! :)

That's why I am interested in this movement. Usually the arts flourish in an atmosphere of activism against something negative. The Bush years have inspired a lot of street art and DIY arts that have been really cool. Out of the success of that, the Obama art movement was born. I'm interested to see if it is sustained. I think it will be.

I'm also hoping more people will become interested in art and become more positive about funding it.

[Clio the Leo]

4. Barack is the new Che .... love it and thank you! NT

[Teaser]

6. I was hoping for a picture of Obama as a Giant Robot

damn.

[Starry Messenger]

8. Sorry. They do exist, but they are on Right-y websites for bad things.

Instead here is some Obama art by an artist named Zoltron:

http://www.obamaartreport.com/2008_07_01_archive.html

I'm a giver.

[yowzayowzayowza]

9. An artsy...

:kick:

Good stuff!!!

:hi:

[Starry Messenger]

10. Thank you for the look!

I was really tempted to title my post with something flamey. I guess I should have--darn that Blago!

[Starry Messenger]

11. This is cool:

http://www.obamaartreport.com/2008/12/stand-up-against-h8.html



Obama artists in Oakland making pro-gay marriage posters. I love my city!

[Starry Messenger]

12. kick for the evening crowd.

[Lisa0825]

13. cool thanks for posting!

:kick:

[Starry Messenger]

14. You are welcome! n/t

[Swamp Rat]

15. K&R!!!!!!!!!!

:D :hi:

[Starry Messenger]

16. Thank you!!

:hug:

[ClayZ]

17. K and R

Thanks for the heads up!