Kansas City Art Institute professor's Obama poster collection is now a book

Artist David Choe’s “HOPE” poster was chosen for the cover image of Hal Wert’s new book of Obama posters and prints.

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A year ago, Kansas City Art Institute professor Hal Wert showed his collection of Barack Obama street posters at the school’s H&R Block Artspace.

Now the posters have been assembled into a 188-page book, “Hope: A Collection of Obama Posters and Prints,” published by Zenith Press.

Ranging from corny to cool, with an occasional disconcerting nod to old-style social realism, the images offer a fun romp through the Obama-mania of the 2008 presidential election.

Great art it’s mostly not, with the exception of Robert Indiana’s 21st-century remake of his iconic 1960s LOVE poster into a red, white and blue “HOPE” print.

A lot of the designs, including Ron English’s fusion of Obama’s face with Abraham Lincoln’s, are simply bizarre. But enthusiasm and idealism carry the day in images that portray the candidate as Superman, a prizefighter and even a surfer, riding — you guessed it — a wave of hope.

Wert will sign copies of his book from 4 to 6 p.m. today in the Vanderslice Reception Rooms on the KCAI campus, 4415 Warwick Blvd. Copies of the book will be available for purchase at $30.

| Alice Thorson, athorson@kcstar.com

Posted on Wed, Nov. 11, 2009 10:15 PM

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