In Flight (Air Jordan 4 Retro OG “Bred” 2019) ORIGINAL PAINTING

ABOUT THE ART

The original painting, measuring 36”x36”, was created with Acrylic Paints and Pencil on Art Panel.  The artwork features the Air Jordan 4 Retro OG “Bred” 2019. The sneaker, photographed by Adam for photo reference, reveals the signature Nike Air hang tag, the Jumpman (Flight) logo on the tongue and the visible Nike Air Bubble on the midsole. The painting depicts the AJ IV floating in space, symbolizing MJ’s unmatched ability to float in the air, seemingly longer than his defenders, reminiscent of  “The Shot.” The greyscale gradient background and drop shadow adds atmospheric depth and further represents Jordan’s artistry of flight.

ABOUT THE SNEAKER

In 1989, Nike released the Air Jordan IV to the public. It was the first Air Jordan to be released on the global market. The iconic sneaker was designed by the legendary Tinker Hatfield. It had four colorways: White/Black, Black/Cement Grey (Bred), White/Fire Red-Black, and Off White/Military Blue.

Following the major success of actor/director Spike Lee’s Mars Blackmon character as part of the rollout for the Jordan III, Spike was again featured in the ads for the AJ IV. Blackmon’s message, ”this you can buy…you can’t do this” – essentially while you can’t play like Jordan, you can buy his shoes—was met with high praise and rave reviews. In addition to his comedic presence in commercials, Lee took things a step further for the IV, making the sneaker a focal point in a scene from his cult classic Do The Right Thing.

During the 1988-89 season in which Michael wore the Air Jordan IV, he achieved his overall best statistical season with averages of 32.5 points, 8 rebounds, and 8 assists. The same season saw the Bulls make their first Eastern Conference Finals of the Jordan era, firmly confirming them as a team to be taken seriously for championship contention. It was also in the AJ IV’s that Jordan made “The Shot” which was a series winning shot at the buzzer to advance the Bulls to the next round in a do or die situation against Craig Ehlo and the Cleveland Cavaliers.