Kaufman was an American pop art icon. His silkscreens on canvases consisted of soup cans, comic characters, famous actors, and cigars. His subject matters were not surprising considering his association with Andy Warhol and his work at the Factory, where Warhol produced his multi-numerous prints and works of art.
Kaufman had a reoccurring theme in his work, off-limits Cuban Cohiba cigars. He toyed with images of other cigars, but mostly stuck with Cohiba. Likewise he did a limited edition portrait of Fidel Castro, perhaps playing with the untouchable subject matter. Unlike his art contemporaries, he accomplished his hand pulled limited editions on canvas instead of paper. On the reverse of each canvas, was his signature "SAK" initials for Steve Alan Kaufman. His signature was mostly in black marker and the edition numbers.
In Kaufman's work "Cohiba Quatro Cigars", he mixes old Havana charms with Ybor City. On the edge of downtown Tampa, is historic Ybor City. The neighborhood was originally filled with immigrants that worked in cigar factories. Still today, the main drag, 7th Avenue is lined with cigar shops and just like old Havana, parts of Ybor City are frozen in time. It is possible to see a 1955 turquoise Bel Air Chevy looking as fresh as the day it rolled off the General Motors factory floor. There is a street colonnade, where the cigar shop windows and doors open up to the street. The cigar rollers grab a leaf out of a bundle, putting the outer layer and the finishing touches on the cigar. In the back of the shops you can smoke and get a small strong Cuban coffee, recreating a Hemingway moment in time.
Kaufman with his mother's encouragement had his first show at the age of 8 at the Jewish Temple in the Bronx where he grew up. By age 14 he had landed a scholarship to the famed Parsons School of Design, while attending Manhattan's School of Visual Arts (SVA). At SVA he met two artists that have been listed in the art history books, Keith Haring and Jean-Michel Basquiat.
In the 1970's while he was still in his mid-teens, he was already introduced to New York's art scene and night life. In 1981, Kaufman met Andy Warhol, who became a significant influence on the 19-year-old. Kaufman worked under Warhol as a studio assistant. At the Factory, he produced original paintings and silkscreens for Warhol's signature. Kaufman, in these early days, sold paintings to the likes of Calvin Klein and Steve Rubell (co-owner of Studio 54) and designed graphics for NBC's "Saturday Night Live."
After graduating from the SVA with a fine-art degree, he held his first major art show in London and then eventually left Warhol's Factory to establish his own Studio. He named his studio "SAK", after the nickname Warhol had given him based on his initials. By the early 90's, Kaufman's work was highly in demand and he started his humanitarian efforts supporting racial harmony and AIDS programs.
He finally moved his studio to Los Angeles and worked with numerous galleries including Martin Lawrence Gallery, taking on Hollywood subjects such as Marilyn Monroe and Frank Sinatra. Sadly, in 1999, Kaufman's health began to deteriorate, and he suffered cardiac episodes and had a major stroke in 2003. With some care, his health improved in 2006, but eventually died of heart attack in the resort town of Vail on February 12, 2010.
Signature on reverse:
Kaufman had a reoccurring theme in his work, off-limits Cuban Cohiba cigars. He toyed with images of other cigars, but mostly stuck with Cohiba. Likewise he did a limited edition portrait of Fidel Castro, perhaps playing with the untouchable subject matter. Unlike his art contemporaries, he accomplished his hand pulled limited editions on canvas instead of paper. On the reverse of each canvas, was his signature "SAK" initials for Steve Alan Kaufman. His signature was mostly in black marker and the edition numbers.
"There's nothing like a fine cigar, a good bottle of wine and a beautiful...you know me," said American Pop Artist and protégé of Andy Warhol, Steve Kaufman.
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| "Cohiba Quatro Cubano" Featuring fine Cohiba cigars Screen Print on Canvas - 19" X 25.5" Signed: SAK on Reverse, 48/50 AP |
Kaufman with his mother's encouragement had his first show at the age of 8 at the Jewish Temple in the Bronx where he grew up. By age 14 he had landed a scholarship to the famed Parsons School of Design, while attending Manhattan's School of Visual Arts (SVA). At SVA he met two artists that have been listed in the art history books, Keith Haring and Jean-Michel Basquiat.
In the 1970's while he was still in his mid-teens, he was already introduced to New York's art scene and night life. In 1981, Kaufman met Andy Warhol, who became a significant influence on the 19-year-old. Kaufman worked under Warhol as a studio assistant. At the Factory, he produced original paintings and silkscreens for Warhol's signature. Kaufman, in these early days, sold paintings to the likes of Calvin Klein and Steve Rubell (co-owner of Studio 54) and designed graphics for NBC's "Saturday Night Live."
After graduating from the SVA with a fine-art degree, he held his first major art show in London and then eventually left Warhol's Factory to establish his own Studio. He named his studio "SAK", after the nickname Warhol had given him based on his initials. By the early 90's, Kaufman's work was highly in demand and he started his humanitarian efforts supporting racial harmony and AIDS programs.
He finally moved his studio to Los Angeles and worked with numerous galleries including Martin Lawrence Gallery, taking on Hollywood subjects such as Marilyn Monroe and Frank Sinatra. Sadly, in 1999, Kaufman's health began to deteriorate, and he suffered cardiac episodes and had a major stroke in 2003. With some care, his health improved in 2006, but eventually died of heart attack in the resort town of Vail on February 12, 2010.
Signature on reverse:
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Reference Materials:
Arts & Antiques Magazine, 1999
©2020. Waller-Yoblonsky Fine Art is a research collaborative, working to track artists that got lost and overlooked due to time, changing styles, race, gender and/or sexual orientation. Our frequent blogs highlight artists and art movements that need renewed attention with improved information for the researcher and art collectors. The photos and blog was created by Mr. Waller and all written materials were obtained by the Fair Use Section 107, of The Copyright Act. #waller-yoblonskyblogspot #walleryoblonskyblogspot #stevealankaufman #stevekaufman #popartist
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| Tony Waller with his brother Bruce Ybor City Cigar and Coffee Bar |
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