Abraham Obama by Ron English on Flickr

Alice Stribling says:

He's a fantastic painter.
Posted 21 months ago. ( permalink )

COOP666 says:

Boy, folks sure are setting themselves up for a crushing disappointment... he's just another politician, and a Chicago politician at that.
Posted 21 months ago. ( permalink )

OldManMusings says:

Super stuff!
Posted 21 months ago. ( permalink )

alexmuse says:

Does anyone else think this is just a little offensive?
Posted 21 months ago. ( permalink )

This print will be sold as part of 008themovement.org and Upper Playground's continuing series of artist's prints in support of Obama and purchasable at UpperPlayground.com (with all money's cycling back into the campaign!)
Posted 21 months ago. ( permalink )

COOP666 says:

Not so much offensive as just tacky. Let Obama actually do something before deifying him like this.

If the McCain campaign released a similar image of their candidate, you'd see how mawkish and ridiculous this looks.
Posted 21 months ago. ( permalink )

doranmcgee says:

and I thought it was for fun! Keep up the great art! How about a Kennedy-Obama? or a Pig-McCain? or even a Lizard-Clinton?
Posted 21 months ago. ( permalink )

mariecarnes says:

Excellent. As a fan of both, I'm not offended. This should sell for big bucks.
Posted 21 months ago. ( permalink )

ZekaG says:

Very nicely painted. Ron is talented...
Posted 21 months ago. ( permalink )

TranceMist says:

Eww
Posted 21 months ago. ( permalink )

kenlefeb says:

COOP666: Lincoln shouldn't be so deified that anybody would be offended at this. Despite being a Republican, he was quite liberal, too, and violated the Constitution left and right.

Oh, and the artist quality is exceptional, too. :)
Posted 21 months ago. ( permalink )

COOP666 says:

Violating the Constitution is a good thing? Then why is everyone so upset with Bush?
Posted 21 months ago. ( permalink )

Aper3Caper says:

I wonder if he can do one with a Hitler-Clinton mashup. Lol.
Posted 21 months ago. ( permalink )

COOP666 says:

Yeah, because she's just like Hitler. Because she ran against Obama. (rolls eyes)
Posted 21 months ago. ( permalink )

openapplep says:

I think people are missing the larger picture here. I think it is amazing that there has actually been an art movement associated with ANY candidate this year. I happen to like Obama, but hypothetically speaking, if it were a McCain art movement, I would still be impressed that there is a new generation of voters. I think the obama art by shepard fairey, ron english, sam flores, iso50 and more has done something that this country has needed badly, It has garnered the attention of young people. There will be alot of people voting for the first time this year, because the art got them interested in the politics of it all.
Posted 21 months ago. ( permalink )

COOP666 says:

Art and Politics go together like fish and ice cream.
Posted 21 months ago. ( permalink )

COOP666 says:

Can't someone at least concede that it's a bad idea to try to influence peoples' vote with such emotion-based propaganda like this? Maybe policy should be more important than looks?

The Soviets and the Fascists did a bang up job of using art to influence the political climate, too. (Just ask Shep Fairey.) The first thing Mussolini did after getting into power was give jobs to the Futurists who supported him.
Posted 21 months ago. ( permalink )

Josh Ellingson says:

Hey Coop, I'm not sure Ron's trying to influence a vote here. It might he just a weird statement on race and politics. Lincoln is credited with freeing the slaves and things have come far enough that we have an African American nominated for the presidency. It also might be a cynical statement on the deification of politicians. Lincoln gets this a lot and there might be a parallel with the hype Obama gets. I would say that Shepard Fairey's HOPE poster is more in the vein of propaganda. This might just be Ron English being Ron English.
Posted 21 months ago. ( permalink )

COOP666 says:

I dig Ron's work, and I hope that your interpretation is correct. You are also correct that the Fairey poster is more blatant- it creeped me out the first moment I saw it.

Those who are ignorant of history are doomed to make hipster art from it.

I'm really disturbed by the creepy cult-of-personality around Obama's campaign, and the religious fervour of his supporters has turned me off on his candidacy, frankly. Stuff like this doesn't help.
Posted 21 months ago. ( permalink )

Josh Ellingson says:

Ha, ha. What's really bad are all the crazy fools making money on Cafe Press with hipster "Obama '08" t-shirts. What the fuck is that about?

Sniff, sniff. I think I smell fish ice-cream...

;)
Posted 21 months ago. ( permalink )

COOP666 says:

The Kennedy assassination and its attendant conspiracy nimbus are more cultural than political by now, but point taken.
Posted 21 months ago. ( permalink )

Josh Ellingson says:

Ah hell, I just saw that Upper Playground is selling a slew of Obama posters for $200 bucks each. This Abraham Obama is one of them. See, now THAT I have a problem with. THAT is icky and reeks of the same shit that the Cafe Press Obama shirts do. It's just jumping on a bandwagon and has nothing to do with cultural or political commentary. It's just saying, "Gee how much money can we make on this before November?" I'm sure Ron English was going to make this painting regardless of whether it was sold as a print, but these other posters are clearly just posters. And you know what? Posters for a "cause" shouldn't be two hundred bucks unless it's some kind of charity or something. Alright, that's it. I'm done with my rant.
Posted 21 months ago. ( permalink )

Laughing Squid says:

I'm still waiting for a fish ice cream poster by COOP and Josh Ellingson.
Posted 21 months ago. ( permalink )

Happy Tinfoil Cat says:

"Have you heard about the POW, the woman and the black man who ran for president?" Sounds like a joke from the 60's

*drum roll* waiting for punchline in Nov.

It's funny how the Democratic Party has been able to monopolize the free press with a long, drawn out primary process. How long will it take for Obama to choose a sidekick? Poor McCain hasn't been mentioned in months.

Comments like those above make me wonder if we will EVER have a woman or a black man for president.
Posted 21 months ago. ( permalink )

COOP666 says:

My distaste for Obama's campaign has nothing to do with his race, and shame on you for suggesting it. If you think all criticism of Obama=racism, that's just fucked in the head.

I've no problem with a black man, a woman, or a clubfooted Chinese-American lesbian badminton champion as President, provided I agree with their politics and how they plan to implement policy.

Seems like Obama has a lock on it anyway, so what's your worry?
Posted 21 months ago. ( permalink )

Josh Ellingson says:

@Laughing Squid - Now I can't stop thinking about what I would draw involving fish and icecream. I'm going to have to make something now. Oh Scott Beale, you are such an enabler!
Posted 21 months ago. ( permalink )

Happy Tinfoil Cat says:

COOP666, Yes, that would be "fucked in the head". I did not say your comments were "racist".

I'm not partial to any of the candidates, BTW. Obama doesn't have a "lock" on it. I've seen ample racism and sexism in this country enough to prevent either to be elected. Don't underestimate it, mark my words.

I'd say Obama has run a fabulous campaign exactly as you described. I got sick of the entire election months ago and haven't paid attention enough to know the politics. Politicians usually say one thing and then do another anyway. I'll make a choice once given a choice (I'm not registered with either party and did not participate in the primary)

McCain may have a great strategy to take out Obama but may be sitting on it until he gets the nomination. That way he doesn't take him out leaving a potentially stronger candidate to run against. Possibly why we have heard little from McCain.

Obama may or may not be the right black man for the job and Clinton may or may not be the right woman, but still, in the big picture, it would be nice to see some history being made. Blacks would certainly feel a bit uplifted and little black kids may actually be able to dream about being president. If Clinton gets in maybe we can actually hope to pass the ERA amendment some day.

The photo looks like a morph was done. I wonder if the painting was first computer generated and then painted.
Posted 21 months ago. ( permalink )

JOE M500 says:

"Those who are ignorant of history are doomed to make hipster art from it."

Coop, is that your quote? It is brilliant!
I admire the Obama campaign, strictly for what it was... a massive grass roots thing that was unstoppable and swept people up in a way that hasn't been done/seen in 40 years.

I like the painting by Mr. English, it keeps with his art tradition. If, say, you (Coop) or Robt Williams painted this it would be extra creepy, but I expect this of Ron.

This thread is interesting.
Posted 20 months ago. ( permalink )

dghammer says:

How appropriate you would choose a Rebublican president. You should have chosen Carter but...nevermind they both pass for peanut heads.
Posted 18 months ago. ( permalink )

ThirdDesign says:

wow....... this is a change if nothing else
Posted 18 months ago. ( permalink )

Rath & Some says:

do these people even know that Obama is related to Bush and Cheney!

www.youtube.com/watch?v=fYRKe7X-90E

Upperplayground is wack for all this Obama garbage

Its time to wake up people

the royal bloodline is real
Posted 16 months ago. ( permalink )

ampersans says:

i'm an obama supporter and i don't think this painting was supposed to be comparing their greatness. maybe it's the fact that lincoln is known as the great emancipator and now there's a black guy running for president.........eh???
Posted 16 months ago. ( permalink )

!XYZ says:

hi there
sorry that i have't asked for yr permission to use this fabulous masterpeice - but time is short
i will of course remove it if you don't want t o be associated with my blog - i will of course link it back to here and credit you
got to get to work and history is in the making!
cheers
bizlinks.wordpress.com/
Posted 15 months ago. ( permalink )

Alejandra Mavroski says:

so great! amazing
Posted 15 months ago. ( permalink )

Sherlon says:

COOP666 , can u repeat that?
Posted 15 months ago. ( permalink )

COOP666 says:

Repeat what? Am I about to be shipped off to the re-education camps?
Posted 15 months ago. ( permalink )

alwayscanadian says:

awesome
hugs

Posted 15 months ago. ( permalink )

alwayscanadian says:

Both presidents represented hope.
Plus...unlike the Republicans...
he's...pro science,
pro choice,
pro regulation (laissez faire didn't work..duh!)

And regardless of who is in office, our taxes are going to go up...with trillions being lost every year in an unwinable war....

The election is making Americans cool again!
Posted 15 months ago. ( permalink )

ichirokes says:

cool for brush paint! i suggest you need to make your own logo so that way someone cannot stole your photos! I like this! bravo
Posted 15 months ago. ( permalink )

F re e Dom says:

excelente trabajo de Ron English

bless!
Posted 13 months ago. ( permalink )

operaticomnivore says:

cool image!

I used it for my blog:
www.takepart.com/blog/2009/01/16/obamas-inaug ural-meal-hu...

Thanks for sharing!

Danny
Posted 13 months ago. ( permalink )

Cristian Mantovani says:

great Ron
Posted 10 months ago. ( permalink )

f3000 says:

"Honest" Abe
Posted 8 months ago. ( permalink )

PretenderNX01 says:

I know most of this conversation was over a year ago- but fish and ice cream were combined on "Iron Chef". Trout to be specific was used by Iron Chef Hiroyuki Sakai in a battle on "Iron Chef America" against Bobby Flay.

So yes, I absolutely feel art and politics can mix. I just don't know that Republicans currently are creative enough to come up with their own positive images to campaign with. Satire is easy- but a striking positive image for your candidate is more difficult.
Posted 8 months ago. ( permalink )

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Abraham Obama by Ron English

Comments

Alice Stribling says:

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doranmcgee says:

mariecarnes says:

ZekaG says:

TranceMist says:

kenlefeb says:

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Aper3Caper says:

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openapplep says:

COOP666 says:

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Josh Ellingson says:

COOP666 says:

Josh Ellingson says:

COOP666 says:

Josh Ellingson says:

Laughing Squid says:

Happy Tinfoil Cat says:

COOP666 says:

Josh Ellingson says:

Happy Tinfoil Cat says:

JOE M500 says:

dghammer says:

ThirdDesign says:

Rath & Some says:

ampersans says:

!XYZ says:

Alejandra Mavroski says:

Sherlon says:

COOP666 says:

alwayscanadian says:

alwayscanadian says:

ichirokes says:

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