Artist creates Obama "portrait of change" - It was made from coins, pennies, nickels, dimes, quarters
Arizona Coin Collector
http://www.koaa.com/wacky_stories/x1949207924/Artist-creates-Obama-portrait-of-change
Artist creates Obama "portrait of change"
Story By: Jamie Smith
Source: NBC
Published Fri Jan 23, 2009, 06:43 AM MST
Updated Fri Jan 23, 2009, 06:43 AM MST
President Obama's campaign was based on promises of
change, and St. Louis artist captured that sentiment
more literally than others. "It was made from coins,
pennies, nickels, dimes, quarters that I collected
from friends and family," explains Andy Magee.
(STORY IMAGE PHOTO)
http://www.koaa.com/archive/x1949207926/g1f40007232f6a181e842943f6685bb475df0f19b2a5210.jpg
It's a concept that actually has several meanings
depending on how closely you look at the piece
since all the coins have the presidential faces up,
but the sculptural portrait wasn't really a stretch
for Magee. He's an artist who often tries to get
people to look at something that's rather ordinary
in a different light.
If you get really close to the art you'll realize it's
made up of about 10,000 tiny toy soldiers. "In and of
themselves they're quite harmless and benign, but
when you see them on the map together to create
something new, visually it has a much larger impact,"
Magee points out.
He has done similar pieces with artificial sweetener
packets depicting Marilyn Monroe and has plans for
several more sculptures, which is why his studio looks
more like a recycling facility. "Sometimes I collect
for years and years before the project materializes,"
Magee said as he grabs a bag of Dole cans.
"A lot of people have told me that I see the world
in a very weird way and maybe that's true but i'm
interested in our relationship as people to the
things around us and more and more to the things
we consume," he added.
The things we throw away Andy keeps and builds
something that makes us stop and think. It's what
art is suppose to do and thanks to the internet Andy's
portrait of change is reaching more people than usual.
"Time magazine found it on the internet along with
many other pieces, so they published a copy of it
in the 'Person Of The Year' issue of Time magazine,"
Magee said. As you can imagine, seeing your art in
the middle of Time magazine is pretty cool but
having an impact is even cooler.
"It's very rewarding to have become part of the national
discussion even if only in a very very small way, that's
very exciting. very thrilling," Magee said.
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