Muhammad Ali Signed Canvas Art Steve Kaufman Cassius Clay Red, White & Blue – COA

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 an 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 this offered piece. Kaufman’s work graces such collections as Calvin Klein’s and Steve Rubell’s, among many other renowned patrons. As well, he’s provided commissioned pieces for Las Vegas’ Caesar’s Palace, The Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame, and the Vincent van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam.

The philosophy fits well into what he wanted to do with a Muhammad Ali series. The two became personal friends after Ali sat for a portrait commissioned by the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Committee. Offered is an Ali portrait celebrating the 1960 Olympic gold medal win. Ali signed the artwork in broad gold paint pen (“10”), adding the rare inscription, “AKA Cassius Clay.” Kaufman’s signature can be found on the reverse. This one is the “red, white and blue edition” and it is numbered 57/100 in the edition. The limited edition was sold exclusively at the Warner Brothers Studio stores.

“In his distinctive style. Steve Kaufman has created a true work of art. The limited edition piece is silkscreened on canvas and each piece is then hand-embellished by the artist, thus each print becomes a unique artwork. The canvas is then hand-stretched onto a wooden frame. Each print incorporates the identical images of Ali with one of three color palettes. There is a gold edition, red, white and blue edition and a multi-color edition. Each of these three is an edition of 100.”

The serigraph on canvas (a colossal 48″ x 49″) is securely anchored to a concealed wooden frame. Imposing no distractions to the applied paint or the overall aesthetic quality, the work is about EX/MT with mild/moderate surface creases. This fantastic expression of color and texture celebrates Ali’s Olympic (1960 gold) success with a prime-time attitude and a legendary destination. There is simply no one better than “The Greatest.”

Authentication: Warner Bros. COA

Note, this item is oversized and will incur a shipping surcharge.

Muhammad Ali Signed Canvas Art