Barack Obama at Art Basel Miami Beach 2008

Shephard Fairey isn't the only artist to capture the zeitgeist of this historic year through the visage of President-elect Barack Obama. Throughout Miami, Mr. Obama was seemingly everywhere, as works featuring his likeness were given prominence by exhibitors. One couldn't help but feel comforted by this collective embrace of the potential he represents, even as news of the economic crisis continued to put a damper …

Alan Warburton

Cambridge artist Alan Warburton collaborated with a non-art audience to produce this series of work in which he asked volunteers to use fruit to explain politics. "In Caracas, Venezuela, volunteers explained the complex and lively political scene using melons and in Cambridge, diverse residents used locally picked apples to explain the issues that affect the city," he says of how the series unfolded.

Scope Miami: Asian Art Steals the Show

Work by Asian artists, and those of Asian descent, seemed to dominate the Scope Miami fair this year. The sheer volume on display confirms that Eastern art is gaining sway in Western markets, and rightfully so, as the below selections would support. Rogerio Degaki, a Brazilian artist of Japanese descent, was on exhibit at the Rhys Mendes booth. The vibrant, glittering sculptures looked like anonymous …