I began my “Irrational Exuberance” portrait series in 2009 when the US economy seemed to be in danger of shutting down. People were being buffeted by forces beyond their control that they could not understand. Scary times. I started the portraits of actors involved in the credit crunch by gathering and collaging material from the subjects’ worlds: for Madoff, the legal complaints against him, and text from the Wall Street Journal for Greenspan, Geithner, and Bernake. When the Dodd-Frank Act was passed, I returned to the series from a new perspective, using text from the bill to create a portrait of Elizabeth Warren. When the London Whale threatened J.P. Morgan I began a portrait of Jamie Dimon. As implementation dragged on for the Volcker Rule, I began my most recent piece.
Source: geoffreystein.com
Alan Greenspan
Image by: GeoffreyStein
Collaged material from the Wall Street Journal & acrylic on canvas
36 x 24 in
2009
Tim Geithner
Image by: GeoffreyStein
Collaged material from the Wall Street Journal & acrylic on canvas
30 x 30 in
2009
Ben Bernake
Image by: GeoffreyStein
Collaged material from the Wall Street Journal & acrylic on canvas
30 x 26 in
2009
Madoff
Image by: GeoffreyStein
Collaged material from the SEC and Dept. of Justice complaints against Madoff & acrylic on canvas
30 x 30 in
2009
Sheila Bair
Image by: GeoffreyStein
Collaged material from the Wall Street Journal & acrylic on canvas
30 x 30 in
2010
Tim Geithner
Image by: GeoffreyStein
Collaged material from the Wall Street Journal & acrylic on canvas
30 x 30 in
2009
Elizabeth Warren
Image by: GeoffreyStein
Collaged material from the Dodd-Frank Act authorizing the creation of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and acrylic on canvas
24 x 36 in
2012
Volcker Too
Image by: GeoffreyStein
Collaged material from the Volcker rule section of the Dodd Frank Act, pencil, and acrylic on canvas
30 x 26 in
2014