Description

5 Colour Screen Print. 20 x 30 Inches. Edition: 138. Signed and Numbered. Authorised by Michael Brennan. "I wanted to portray Ali in between the lights, the crowds, the physical and poetic assaults on his opponents. After all, beyond everything that Muhammad Ali has accomplished and become loved for, he is still just a man. Not a superhuman. Not a robot. Not a figment of our imaginations. And that inspires me greatly. I found this image, a photograph taken by Michael Brennan in 1976, of Ali wrapping his fists. There were multiple rarities in the picture - one being the fact that very few boxing greats actually tape their own wrists, and the other being it showed the Champ in a relaxed moment of thought and isolation. It wasn't a typical photograph of Muhammad Ali, and the soul it exuded spoke volumes to me. With Michael Brennan's blessings, I was privileged to paint this intimate picture of the Greatest, the People's Champ, Muhammad Ali." - Joe Iurato.