The High (and Low) Price of Obama Art

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So your wacky sitcom-ready plot to pay off your student loans — winning the lottery perhaps? — didn't work out. Here's another: start painting super literal anti-Obama art. Jon McNaughton, the most prominent Tea Party painter in America, will ask about $300,000 for "One Nation Under Socialism," which portrays Obama solemnly burning the Constitution, BuzzFeed's Michael Hastings reports. It is his third anti-Obama painting, following "The Forgotten Man," (at left) which depicts Obama stepping on our sacred founding documents while a sad everyman sits on a park bench, and "One Nation Under God," which went viral a year ago and features Jesus observing proud patriotic Americans against the liberal media, activist judges, and single moms. Fox News' Sean Hannity bought one of McNaughton's works; the other two orignals will sell for six-figure sums, he says.

This sent us to eBay and Etsy to see if our path to a fancy New York City apartment might be through Obama art. The market is there, but no one else is asking nearly as much as McNaughton is for their work. We can still hope, though. A collection of the most interesting pro- and anti-Obama art for sale to the masses.

This hamdmade clay mask of the president's face is $200.

This print of "The Secret of England's Greatness" is $135. 

This "collectable gargoyle" Obama by the catalog retailer Toscano is $4.95. The listing says it's "A sure-fire conversation starter on your desktop and the perfect collectible gift for any history lover or political aficionados!" Sample conversation:

Guest: Oh my god what is that?
Host: Oh this? This is my limited-edition Barack Obama gargoyle! Isn't it delightful?
Guest [backing slowly toward the door]: I just... I forgot... I have a thing...

"Taken by Storm" is a bead painting of the White House after Obama's inauguration. It's $5,200.

If you are not from a part of the country where Ford vs. Chevy is a critical issue, perhaps this image confuses you. It is a new twist on the classic car decal featuring a Calvin peeing on something. On Chevy pick-up trucks, Calvin is usually peeing on the Ford logo; on Fords, Calvin pees on the Chevy logo. This reimagining has Calvin as a depicted as a coal miner, and, as we all know, laws against child labor are socialist. This 6 x 5 inch coal pee sticker is $7.99.

This novelty parking sign is $18.45. What the message has to do with parking, I don't know. Perhaps a protest against the tyranny of parking meters?

This poster is $5.97.

This print by Dan Lacey, the guy who paints pancakes on famous people, is $20.

This more wholesome item, a quilt, is $99.99. It features the text of Obama's inaugural address.

"Barack Obama Laughing at Sarah Palin Topless Spray-Painted on Recycled Wood" is $50. See the uncensored version at Etsy.

This Obama pillow is $59.99. Spot-clean only.

Obama as a Pez dispenser, $65.

This crossstitch of the First Lady's likeness is $5,000.

This article is from the archive of our partner The Wire.