Huntington’s b.j. spoke gallery is hosting a pair of exhibits featuring both local artists and works by the Pioneer of Neo-Pop art, Steve Kaufman.
“Spring has Sprung,” which runs through April 28, will feature limited edition works by Kaufman, whose entry into the world of serious pop art began in his teens when he became an assistant to Andy Warhol at The Factory studio. Nicknamed “SAK” by Warhol, Kaufman eventually executed such pieces as a 144-foot long canvas which later toured the country.
Kaufman was born in 1960 surrounded by an extended family filled with painters and sculptors.
When he was 8 years old, he held his first one-man art show at a Bronx bank, sponsored by a synagogue, showing work that was later donated to the Jewish Holocaust Memorial in Brooklyn. At 14, Kaufman participated with nine other New York City students in a cultural art exchange in Japan, resulting in his scholarship to the Parsons School of Design.
By 16, Kaufman was frequenting Studio 54 and befriending major New York City artists from the 1970s, including Jean-Michel Basquiat and Warhol.
Among Kaufman’s more recognizable works were his portraits of Marilyn Monroe, Frank Sinatra, the Beatles, Elvis Presley, B.B. King, Al Pacino, former President Barack Obama, Jay Leno and John Gotti. Like Warhol, he was also known for his work featuring Americana icons such as a $100 bill, Coca-Cola and Campbell’s soup cans.
After suffering a stroke in 2004, Kaufman later died in Vail, Colorado in 2010 while preparing for a show.
Just back from a successful European tour, Dana Blum and Diana Vachier will talk about Kaufman’s work and his impact on the art scene of the 1980s and beyond.
The public is invited to a free reception at the gallery from 6 to 9 p.m. Saturday. Refreshments will be provided.
Although Kaufman died in 2010, his creations have taken on a life of their own in the art market.
In another room of the gallery, a members’ show “Spring Fever” will also be on display throughout April.
Popular artists include Katherine Criss of New Hyde Park, Gia Schifano of New Hyde Park, Kevin Larkin of Roslyn, Karen L. Kirshner, Richard Anello, John A. Bell, Phyllis Baron, Lorraine Carol, Cindy Schecter, Liz Ehrlichman, Christine Greene, Barbara Grey, Barbara V. Jones, Joanne Leftsky, Nicolette Pach, Constance Wain, Bert Winsberg, Diane Marxe and Lili Maglione.
