Nationally known pop-culture artist David O'Keefe will hold an event Saturday, May 28, to introduce the public to his latest painting which features the cast of characters from the cinematic masterpieces "The Godfather'' and ""The Godfather Part II.''
"Godfather - Never Betray the Family'' is an acrylic watercolor painting on paper that O'Keefe spent four months creating. Set in the office of Don Vito Corleone, 26 characters from both films gather around the desk wearing ominous expressions. Many have props that are hints about their roles: Johnny Fontane holds a microphone, Peter Clemenza has a boxed cannoli tucked under his arm, Moe Greene has a stack of casino chips and Fredo Corleone wears a necktie branded with a dagger, the age-old symbol of betrayal. Don Vito is depicted three times, as the Marlon Brando-portrayed family patriarch, as the Robert DeNiro-portrayed young gangster and as a boy new to New York City.
In a framed portrait hanging above the cast is Francis Ford Coppola, director of both films, shown as the characters' puppet master and holding Academy Awards indicating the acclaim both movies received. The films have a total of nine Oscars and are consistently ranked high on "best movies'' lists.
"It's such a classic film series, it seemed like a great idea just to put Part 1 and 2 together,'' says O'Keefe.
A huge fan of Coppola, in 2007 O'Keefe created his first tribute to "The Godfather'': "La Famiglia,'' an oil-on-masonite painting featuring the main characters from the first movie. The liimited edition of that piece was well-received by O'Keefe's fans and is more than 75 percent sold out.
It was time to do another Godfather, O'Keefe decided, plus art patrons kept asking him to include other iconic characters from the films. "Hyman Roth was the one they asked for the most,'' O'Keefe says. A character based on real-life mobster Meyer Lansky, Roth is a longtime ally of the Corleone family who later becomes an enemy and is eventually assissinated in an airport.
A self-taught artist, O'Keefe has been drawing caricatures since he was a child and was a newspaper and magazine editorial illustrator for more than 25 years. He has operated a gallery at St. Armand's Circle in Sarasota for four years and his sculptures, paintings and prints are being sold across the United States at more than 75 country clubs and golf courses and about 10 galleries.
The new painting will be unveiled on the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend from, 6 tp 9 p.m. at O'Keefe's gallery, 12 N. Boulevard of Presidents, St. Armand's Circle. Hors d'oeuvres and spirits will be served and there will be a Godfather trivia game and prizes. "Never Betray the Family'' will be on display and O'Keefe will be on hand to answer questions about it or any of his paintings and sculptures.
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