Steve Kaufman

Steve Kaufman (New York, 1960 – Vail, 2010) was an American pop art artist, sculptor, film director and photographer. While he was still a student, he became an assistant to Andy Warhol at his studio The Factory, whereby he began his journey in the world of pop art. At the beginning of the 1990s, Kaufman’s work became highly sought after, but despite this success, he wanted to remain connected to a wider audience. In 1993, he moved his studio to Los Angeles, where he began a new artistic endeavour that he called “comic book pop art.”

He used superheroes from comics (Superman and Spiderman) as motifs. He also popularised the term “embellished”, additionally painting and refining each print as a limited series, giving each work a unique character.

In his so-called “museum art”, he did not create series, but individual paintings with a single motif. In doing so, he combined painting, three-dimensional elements and memorabilia, and actively involved the viewer and created an interactive experience. The process of creation could take up to six months, which is why these works are considered to be true rarities.

He created portraits of famous people such as Marilyn Monroe, Madonna and Elvis Presley. In 2002, he created a portrait of the Austrian art collector and musical string manufacturer Peter Infeld for his 60th birthday. Like his former teacher Andy Warhol, he also worked with photographs. Before screenprinting, he carefully composed them, and then finished them with painterly interventions and intensive layers of paint.

Kaufman also participated in numerous social and humanitarian projects. He advocated for people with AIDS and fought against racial discrimination. In order to help young people, he founded the Give Kids a Break Foundation. He bought a building in Los Angeles that was previously used as a hangout for street gangs.“We made the kids that were there in the warehouse clean out the building; we then gave the kids $50 each as they left at the end of the day. They all came back looking for a job the next day. We also encourage these kids to go back to school. Some of these kids (my Kids) are now police officers, doctors, artists and parents.”