Large-Scale Portrait-Study of Obama Painted Live During Inauguration Real-Time by Los Angeles Artist Alexey Steele

Alexey Steele, a noted Los Angeles-based realist painter, painted large-scale portrait-study of Obama in real-time during the inauguration of the President.  Alexey is known for his unique and complex multi-figure compositions of an exceptionally large-scale as well as for his extensive portrait works noted for their sense of unusual “live presence” and which include such figures as Jack Nicholson, Mick Fleetwood, Milla Jovovich and other high profile individuals, generally paints his subjects through a series of live sittings as a way to capture the live essence of a person for which there is no substitute in the art of portraiture.

This time the artist wanted to capture the immediate authenticity of the moment, as it was unfolding real time. This would not be logistically possible, particularly in a desired scale in any other way than via live broadcast in his studio in Carson, CA, which is specially designed to accommodate works of such format. The exceptional difficulty of rendering a realistic image even in a form of a fast sketch on such scale compounded by improbably short time and obvious inability of the model to “hold a pose” presented a set of enormous artistic challenges requiring exceptional ability to control the medium and form. At the same time it brought the tremendous energy with the necessity to be “fast” that artist felt would reflect the unique nature of the moment.

The fast study in a monumental scale of 6 feet by 5 feet was done beginning to end during the speech, capturing personal sense and energy of witnessing the moment in history.  The painting was started at the beginning of the actual swearing in, and finished at the end of inaugural address at 12:45 p.m. EST; spanning real time of the event.

Recently joining Facebook, Steele was excited to use the modern communication medium of the CNN/Facebook live broadcast of the Inauguration ceremony combined with his command of traditional methods. This resulted in the creation of a large, on-the-spot, rapidly executed study in its unfinished and “unedited” stage.  This is meant to convey the very immediate nature of the unique and consequential moment in time, which it invites to contemplate.  

The excitement and intensity of this real time experience was documented on a video, now posted on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WBhT1cUXfE4.

“There are moments in time when you know that history is turned. You might not know where it leads to or what it means even, but you absolutely know that it’s turned.  For the artist those are very special moments and the best way to contemplate them; to live through them is to paint. That’s why we paint really. By painting we relate to the world we live in - by looking and contemplating it more intensely,” says Alexey Steele on the YouTube video.

Alexey Steele views art as powerful communicating tool that can contribute greatly to answering challenges we face in the world by helping find ways to stimulate acceptance and respect across all cultural divides as an effective way of resolving severe conflicts of our time including the one with nature. It is why the themes of Unity, Community and Environment are very prominent in his Art. With a much-anticipated attention by the new administration to Art, its engaging and inspiring aspect might become an important component for the society overcoming the times of trial.

About Alexey Steele

Born in Kiev, Ukraine, on March 19, 1967, Alexey Steele began his art training at an early age in the studio of his father, renowned Russian artist Leonid Steele. Alexey furthered his professional education at the prestigious Surikov Art Institute of the Soviet Academy of Arts in Moscow, studying under internationally acclaimed artist Illia Glazunov. In 1990, Steele moved to Los Angeles where he still resides as he paints large-scaled figurative murals, commissioned portraits, and California plein-air landscapes inspired by the classical color palette of the Moscow School.

Two of Steele’s unique grand-scaled mural commissions include The Circle, figurative composition with a diameter of 31 feet, and the slightly smaller allegorical work, The Soul of the Hero.

Alexey Steele is a participant of numerous exhibitions, including museums and one-man shows, with his art extensively covered by art magazines.

Steele is a Signature Member of the California Art Club and was the recipient of the Silver Medal for the 1994 California Discovery Award. In 1996, he co-founded the Annual Russian Heritage Festival presented at the historic Mission San Juan Capistrano in Southern California until 2005. In 2007 he founded Classical Underground in Los Angeles.  It showcases the relation of representational arts and classical music through a uniquely formatted Chamber Music in the Studio Series.

Official web site:

www.highartforever.com

on wikipedia:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexey_Steele

Contact: flamebrush@yahoo.com