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ntitled from 2011 exemplifies KAWS’s investigations into the legacy of Pop culture which are deeply grounded in humorously subversive content, carefully composed form and executed meticulously in finish. Inspired by and commenting on our society overwhelmed by an abundance of images, posters, cartoons and advertisements, KAWS’s paintings act as a mirror to our own surroundings, inviting viewers to reflect on the world they live in. Similar to animated cartoon imagery, and where his career began, KAWS removes all traces of his hand by executing clean lines and saturated colors mimicking the exacting precision of commercial fabrication. In doing so, KAWS creates works that are universally understood in a way that surpasses language and cultural barriers.
“I found it weird how infused a cartoon could become in people’s lives; the impact it could have, compared to regular politics.”
KAWS’s meticulous handling of paint, rendered in rich matte black and subtle smoky gray tones, causes the figure to appear even more exaggerated despite the monochromatic palette. The control of line, fluidity in color and universally recognizable emotions set apart KAWS’s work as entirely his own yet globally understood and recognized. KAWS’s painterly precision stems from years as a graffiti artist, where he would modify billboards and other advertisements with unerring skill causing the additions to seamlessly integrate into the original imagery. Referred to as “subvertising,” a practice of parodying and spoofing corporate and political advertisements on billboards, phone booths and bus shelters. KAWS’s subvertising has appeared in cities around the world including London, Paris, Berlin and Tokyo and has remained rooted in the artist’s ongoing output. The artist explained, “I painted with no brush strokes, clean and unobtrusive, as if it were part of the ad. I wanted people to think that what I did was actually part of the ad campaign” (KAWS cited in: Murray Healy, ‘Graffiti Artist Turned Gallery Artist Turned Art Toy Maker: KAWS’, Pop, February 2007, pp. 260-65). Continuing on the Pop art legacy of artists such as Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein and Claes Oldenburg, KAWS is celebrated for his shrewd examination of mainstream visual culture that blurs the boundary between commercial art and the ever-evolving pantheon of contemporary art.
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Pulling source imagery from popular and mass culture, KAWS revamps familiar subjects including immediately identifiable characters, as seen in the familiar face of the present example. KAWS employs the shaped canvas to bring Untitled to life thus further activating the cartoon subject’s sheepish expression and suggested personality as if extending beyond the traditionally two dimensional support. Epitomizing the artist’s playful dynamism and iconic aesthetic, the cartoon subject is marked with KAWS’s signature ‘X’ eyes, a sinister yet fascinating hallmark of his practice, which poignantly comments on our image-saturated and consumer-driven world. The ‘X’ eyes find their origin in the artist’s earlier graffiti career when he tagged billboards and branded posters throughout New York City. The sheepish yet direct in-your-face facial expression is completely devoid of the expected sunshine yellow and smiling face effectively detaching the character from the commonly known cartoon figure. In doing so, KAWS achieves a sense of forced collaboration between the original image and the world of recognizable subjects created by the artist including COMPANION and CHUM also embellished with his trademark ‘X’ eyes. Untitled cleverly negotiates the parameters between painting and product, fine art and commerce.