Unique commision from the artist (image shown is an existing work: anna nicole smith, 2004)
Along with Robert Mapplethorpe, Andres Serrano played a central role in the culture wars and the drive to eliminate the NEA led by U.S. Senator Jesse Helms in late 1980s and 1990s. The emblematic work of the controversy was Serrano’s now infamous Piss Christ (1987) – a reddish-orange image of a crucifix submerged in a container of urine. Serrano has continuously addressed a number of provocative and challenging themes – such as the KKK, the homeless, and death and violence – all with a truly unique sense of beauty, clarity, and scale. This auction item offers the winning bidder the opportunity to have their likeness captured by Serrano. The example photograph of Anna Nicole Smith from Serrano’s America series shows the artist’s distinctive ability to create a striking, yet surprisingly touching, portrait. Serrano’s work has shown in important museums and galleries in the United States, Europe, Japan, and Latin America and is represented in many prestigious collections, including the Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; the Reina Sofia Museum, Madrid; and the Art Institute of Chicago.