Is it art? Or a political statement?

The line between art and politics has rarely been thinner than it is in a new artwork called "Abraham Obama," an image that morphs the face of President Abraham Lincoln with the face of Sen. Barack Obama.

Where that line is drawn will determine whether several Colorado Springs businesses displaying the posters are making an artistic statement or violating city sign ordinances.
Sue Matz, revocable permits coordinator for Colorado Springs, said that her office has been questioned about the images. The legality of their displays would be based upon an interpretation and application of city code, which she is still investigating.

If "Abraham Obama" is considered a mural - which, by city definition isn't supposed to promote a particular cause - then there isn't a problem. But if the image is deemed a political endorsement, then it would need to abide by city restrictions in terms of the size of the display and the amount of signs hung in a certain area.

Businesses with images that exceed the allowed amount would need to apply for a permit or take them down.

Matz said she isn't sure right now which category the artwork would fall under.

"I honestly don't know at this point," she said. "I haven't gotten enough information."

Ron English, the New York-based artist who created "Abraham Obama," doesn't hide his support for the Democratic nominee but said that he wasn't trying to make a political endorsement with this piece.

"My idea behind it was that it was a piece for discussion," he said.

In his mind there are several similarities between the politicians.

"They are both skinny guys from Illinois that have pulled themselves up by their own bootstraps," he said. "They have pretty similar records."

Some business owners, such as Richard Skorman of the Poor Richards complex, have embraced the artwork. But Skorman said that he and his wife's political support of Obama isn't why they chose to allow the image to be wallpapered to the building.

"We just liked it as an art piece," he said. "To me it looks more like Abraham Lincoln than Barack Obama, but I like the images together."

Nathan Fisk, executive director of the El Paso County Republican Party, said he respects the First Amendment and would never call for a piece of art to be taken down. However, he is worried about the message the artist is sending about the similarities between Obama and Lincoln.

"When it really comes to the important things, they're pretty different," Fisk said.

He encourages people who see the artwork to do a little more research and learn about the differences between the two politicians.

"From an ideological standpoint, the piece is very conflicted," Fisk said. "Which maybe makes it a great art piece."

English's piece has sparked a national movement, with fans plastering prints in several cities. Don Goede, a Colorado Springs-native and friend of English, has made it his mission to display more images here than anywhere else in the nation.

He isn't quite there yet. He has gotten permission from business owners to display nearly 40 images. With about 10 more, he figures he'll have the record.

Goede is a fan of bringing artwork to the streets and likes the dialogue that this piece is creating. He said that if the images were deemed to be a political endorsement, he would follow the law and take the steps to get a permit or take them down if need be. However, he would try to negotiate and research the basis of the decision.

"I see a lot of art all over the place," Goede said. "I would do my homework and make sure the decision wasn't made politically."