Ripley's Entertainment has snapped up an unusual portrait of Apple mastermind
Steve Jobs. It's made up of nearly 6,000 computer keys.
The work, which is almost 7 feet tall and 4 feet wide, was created by Orlando artist Doug Powell, who tracked down discarded keyboards and pried off the individual keys for the project. The process took about 200 hours, Powell said.
Powell has sold other works to Ripley's. A keyboard version of Frankenstein and a John Lennon portrait made of jigsaw-puzzle pieces currently are on display in the Ripley's Odditorium attraction on
International Drive in Orlando. Powell has completed portraits as diverse as
Abraham Lincoln and
Lady Gaga.
"I think this is his best work yet, as it's such a large portrait and it captures Steve Jobs perfectly," said Edward Meyer, vice president of exhibits and archives. "He really looks like he is staring right at you."
The black, white, brown, gray and yellowed keys of the Jobs portrait spell out hidden words (Macintosh, Apple,
Pixar,
iTunes) and a few Jobs quotes.
"I want the viewer to ponder the infinite, profound combination of thoughts, ideas and inspirations that have surely passed through this 'intellectual porthole,' and all made possible with just the common computer key," Powell said.
The Jobs portrait is currently at Ripley's corporate headquarters in south Orlando, but it eventually will go to one of the Ripley's attractions worldwide.
