KAWS | THE KAWS ALBUM

signed, titled and dated 05 on the reverse

Fort Worth, Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, Where the End Starts, 20 October 2016 - 22 January 2017, p.6 (illustrated in colour). This exhibition later travelled to Shanghai, Yuz Musuem, 28 March - 31 July 2017.

Monica Ramirez-Montagut, KAWS: 1993 - 2010, Skira Rizzoli, New York, 2010, p. 23, 208 (illustrated; illustrated in colour)

This work is in excellent condition. Two pinpoint brown spots are visible only upon close examination (11cm from the top edge; 2cm and 1cm from the right edge). No evidence of retouching under ultraviolet light. Framed.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Commissioned by NIGO® in 2005, THE KAWS ALBUM is an appropriation of an appropriation – KAWS’s take on The Simpson’s The Yellow Album, which was itself a parody of The Beatles’ 1967 album Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. In this historical ‘family portrait’, KAWS includes the whole host of his Kimpsons characters with their trademark sprouting puffy crossbones and X’ed eyes. In addition to these signature mutated characters, the portrait also features KAWS’s emblematic COMPANION memorialized in the form of a seated miniature figurine on the lower left. Released in 1967, The Beatles’ era-defining Sgt. Pepper album was lauded by critics for its bridging of popular music, high art and contemporary counterculture. THE KAWS ALBUM follows in its legendary footsteps in its bold straddling and uniting of genres, cultures and subcultures. Exemplifying KAWS’s formal agility as an artist, the piece is the most accomplished work on canvas the KAWS ever created. The rich and complex composition demonstrates the epitome of KAWS’s subversive wit, prescient vision and affectionate irreverence for our times, manifesting as an iconic apotheosis of KAWS’s entire artistic and cultural lexicon.