Gottlieb Helnwein (1948-) is an activist, a dissident, a radical, and, above all, an artist. He uses his artwork to inspire, incite, and involve the public in political situations and issues. His subject matter has run the gamut from hyper-realistic paintings showing wounded and tormented children to "entertainment" art; his photographic portraits of political figures John F. Kennedy and Soviet Foreign Minister Gromyko have appeared on the covers of Time magazine; his series of portraits of James Dean lifted the actor to almost deity status. Helnwein is an accomplished painter, photographer, and stage and scene designer. He has called himself "the fastest watercolor painter in the world," and he has been called "the world's finest artist" by critics. His list of credits and accomplishments is extraordinary.