Steve Kaufman

(American, 1960-2010)

“What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. Hunger feeds the need to succeed.”
— Steve Kaufman

Legendary American pop artist Steven Alan Kaufman painted iconic subjects: Muhammad Ali, Marilyn Monroe, Beethoven, Mozart, Coca Cola, his money series, and famous singers and actors. Besides a painter, the artist was a sculptor, stained glass artist, filmmaker, photographer, and generous humanitarian.

Kaufman was born in the Bronx, New York into a family of artists; his mother painted oils on canvas and his uncles sculpted. He held his first show at 8 years old, at a Bronx synagogue-sponsored bank. The pieces were later donated to the Jewish Holocaust Memorial in Brooklyn, New York. At age 12, he painted pet rocks and sold them outside of Macy’s on 34th street in Manhattan. By 17, he was going to the notorious Studio 54 and socializing with other creatives in the New York City scene.

Kaufman studied at Manhattan’s School of Visual Arts, and it was there he became acquainted with other contemporary artists, including Jean-Michel Basquiat and Keith Haring. Kaufman met Andy Warhol at age 21 and started working as his assistant in his studio, The Factory. Warhol significantly influenced Kaufman’s artistic style. Kaufman created designs and sold paintings for nightclubs, Saturday Night Live, and designers such as Calvin Klein.

The 1990s were overflowing with projects for Kaufman. When he left Warhol’s factory, he established SAK, his own studio, and his work was in high demand. He hired homeless people as his assistants, and muses. He painted three homeless people for Transportation Display, Inc. that bus billboards displayed in 46 cities, generating $4.72 million to benefit the homeless. He also painted 55 Racial Harmony murals in the early 90s, promoting racial tolerance and harmony, painted on NYC subway cars, abandoned buildings and retaining walls and Kaufman appeared on Fox TV, MTV, and radio stations to further communicate the message. In 1993, he moved to LA and began painting in a new style he called ‘comic book pop art’, using images of popular comic heroes and hiring hundreds of ex-gang members to assist him in the studio. In 1995, he worked for a new gallery in Los Angeles painting celebrity portraits, received an award from Los Angeles Mayor Riordan, and supported 100 different charities. In 1996 with permission from the Sinatra family, he made several Frank Sinatra paintings, which the elderly Sinatra appreciated very much. Campbell’s Soup commissioned his work for their 100th anniversary, and he painted Muhammad Ali’s face on boxing gloves, painted two Harley Davidson motorcycles, and a Muhammad Ali portrait for the 1996 Olympics. In 1997 and ‘98, the artist held two shows in Japan and Amsterdam, appeared on the Larry King Live show, and painted a third Harley for the Los Angeles Dodgers baseball team. At this point, his ex-gang-member assistants numbered almost 550 and he supported more than 175 charities. In the late ‘90s, despite some physical setbacks including a cardiac episode and a motorcycle accident, he released several celebrity portraits.

In the 2000s, Kaufman participated in several humanitarian efforts. In 2001, with over 750 ex-gang members in his employ, he introduced new painting styles- “portrait collage” and “museum art”, which he used in portraits, a September 11th memorial painting, and a series to commemorate the 35th anniversary of Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas, the last of which drew 10 million visitors in four months. He created a program that placed his pieces in public places for people to enjoy and painted to raise money to support victims of Hurricane Katrina. Unfortunately, Kaufman suffered a major stroke following an Art Expo in New York in 2003. That year, Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman and Nevada governor and senator honored him with Steve Kaufman Day on May 31. In December, he met President Bill Clinton at his Harlem office. Kaufman took the jacket off his back, he often wore a white suit jacket upon which he'd drawn or painted pop icons, and presented it to President Clinton who had it framed and displayed in his office. His schedule slowed because of his health, however he continued to paint and donate proceeds, including his Give Kids a Break charity. His health improved in 2006 and his schedule picked up once more. He exhibited in Vegas, Washington D.C., Denver, Santa Fe, Laguna Beach and more. Many of his subjects included celebrity, musician, actors, athletes, and artist portraits, demonstrating their influence on modern day and pop culture.

Kaufman passed away of a heart attack in Colorado on February 12, 2010 while preparing for an art show. Nearly 2,000 people assisted in his studio and were able to have a second chance for a better life. He raised breathtaking amounts of funding for numerous charities and spread positive messages for the people to see. His artwork, positive messages, and contributions left an indelible mark on the world.

American Fine Art, Inc. is proud to feature the original works and limited editions of Steve Kaufman. Visit our 12,000 sq. ft. showroom in Scottsdale, Arizona or call today. Our website is offered only as a limited place to browse or refresh your memory and is not a reflection of our current inventory. To learn more about collecting, pricing, value, or any other art information, please contact one of our International Art Consultants. We look forward to giving you the one on one attention you deserve when building your fine art collection. We hope you find our website helpful and look forward to seeing you in Scottsdale soon.