This segment profiles the artist known as KAWS, former Graffiti (tag) artist turned painter and designer of limited edition toys and clothing. This segment also features some cool clips of KAWS’ art, displayed in Pharrell Williams’ Miami Home and Kanye West’s latest album cover and billboard.
You can catch his next exhibition,
“KAWS, The Long Way Home,” February 21,— April 04, 2009 at the Honor Fraser Gallery in LA
http://www.honorfraser.com/?s=upcoming
or
http://www.honorfraser.com
“I just started simply through graffiti and drawing on my skateboard and painting on walls and getting that small recognition,” said KAWS, known to his family as Brian Donnelly.
KAWS graduated from the School of Visual Arts in New York with a BFA in illustration in 1996. After graduation, KAWS briefly worked for Disney as a freelance animator painting backgrounds. He also contributed to the animated series 101 Dalmations, Daria and Doug.
He began his career as a graffiti artist growing up in Jersey City, New Jersey.
Later moving to NYC in the 1990s, KAWS started subverting imagery on billboards, bus shelters and phone booth advertisements. These reworked advertisements were at first left alone, lasting for up to several months, but as KAWS’ popularity skyrocketed, the ads became increasingly sought after.
In addition to NY, KAWS has done work in Paris, London, Berlin and Tokyo.
In the late 90s, KAWS began to design and produce limited edition vinyl toys, “an instant hit with the global art toy-collecting community,”especially in Japan, where this genre is well respected and widespread. More toys and later clothing were made for Original Fake, a recent collaborative store with Medicom Toy, in the Aoyama district of Tokyo where an original limited edition product is released each week.
KAWS has also participated in other commercial collaborations with Takahashi for Undercover, snowboard projects with Burton, and sneakers with Nike and Vans.
His most recent collaboration was with Comme des Garçons.
KAWS’ acrylic paintings and sculpture have many repeating images, all meant to be universally understood, surpassing languages and cultures.
One of KAWS’ early series, Package Paintings, was made in 2000. This series, entitled The Kimpsons, subverted the famous American cartoon, The Simpsons. KAWS explains that he “found it weird how infused a cartoon could become in people’s lives; the impact it could have, compared to regular politics.”
In addition, KAWS has reworked other familiar icons such as Mickey Mouse, the Michelin Man and the Smurfs.
Through all of his projects, KAWS has successfully blurred the line between fine art and mass-produced merchandise. He uses his products to allow his imagery to infiltrate a larger audience than that of the fine art world.
The artist is currently an active member in both the commercial and fine art communities.
His work is included in the traveling exhibition “Beautiful Losers,” which started at the Cincinnati Contemporary Art Center and will be traveling through 2009 throughout the US and Europe.
SELECTED SOLO EXHIBITIONS (forthcoming)
Plastic Culture, Harris Museum and Art Gallery, Preston, Great Britain
The Aldrich Museum of Contemporary Art, Ridgefield, CT
SPECIAL PROJECTS
Album Cover, 808s and Heartbreak, by Kanye West
Also check out:
http://www.original-fake.com
http://www.kawsone.com
Video: © 2009, CBS Sunday Morning, CBS News, CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved No Infringement is intended
Duration : 0:6:34
[youtube eM29ykp-ljg]
January 18th, 2010 at 5:21 am
hartless
hartless
January 18th, 2010 at 5:21 am
hartless
hartless
January 18th, 2010 at 5:21 am
haha “Heartless’
…
haha “Heartless’
808’s nd Heartbreak been out forever
January 18th, 2010 at 5:21 am
coldest winter
coldest winter
January 18th, 2010 at 5:21 am
what kind of paint …
what kind of paint is that acrylic
January 18th, 2010 at 5:21 am
FUCK KRINK
KRINK
January 18th, 2010 at 5:21 am
whats da song by …
whats da song by kanye west?
January 18th, 2010 at 5:21 am
the KAWS brush haha …
the KAWS brush haha nah idk
the world may never know
January 18th, 2010 at 5:21 am
What kind of brush …
What kind of brush do you think he uses?
January 18th, 2010 at 5:21 am
Obviously your shit
Obviously your shit
January 18th, 2010 at 5:21 am
manga and graff are …
manga and graff are amazin together.
January 18th, 2010 at 5:21 am
you are an idiot. …
you are an idiot. manga is the f*cking gayest artform in the whole entire world. he’s famous because of his originality. if you would actually use your brain you could tell that he is a very talented painter. idiot
January 18th, 2010 at 5:21 am
What i really don’t …
What i really don’t like is notsomuch the thought that Kaws may or may not have sold out but that these people that go to his shows and swoon over his art are pretty clueless and inarticulate when it comes to describing why it’s important tothem.Thedealers talk about it like they have some idea what the generation this art is geared toward thinks.This is not so much selling out as being taken advantage of similar to the way Basquiat was.Hopefully we won’t have to repeat that art history lesson.
January 18th, 2010 at 5:21 am
Just because …
Just because someone can make a living at what they enjoy doing doesn’t make them a sellout. A sellout is one who betrays their own principles, what they enjoy and love for reasons of expedience whether it’s for money, fame, or whatever. It appears that he’s still doing what he enjoys and hasn’t compromised anything. Don’t blame the artist because lots of people happen to appreciate his work.
January 18th, 2010 at 5:21 am
“Hasn’t painted …
“Hasn’t painted graffiti in over a decade…” He seriously sucks.
January 18th, 2010 at 5:21 am
okay,this dude got …
okay,this dude got famous from copying stuff,and adding different faces?i could ideas all day if i didn’t have to work my off and go to school at the same time.Vandalizing other peoples property isn’t cool,and just cause he got a bit over hyped and famous doesn’t mean he shouldn’t have to pay the price for that wasn’t his.I graff,draw anime/manga,draw real people and architecture,but i don’t need to go against the law to get my art out.That dude is lucky.Period.
January 18th, 2010 at 5:21 am
I think Kaws …
I think Kaws deserve what he does right now cause he definately have paid his dues. Honestly, i think a sellout is a person that gave someone else’s information to the authority(ie cops) so that his/her can be saved, thus, putting other person in jeopardy.
January 18th, 2010 at 5:21 am
Fuck all of u who …
all of u who think he’s a sell-out!!!
now he’s an artist, yeah he hasn’t done graffiti for awhile so what!! he woulfd still take out all of u toy-ass haters out!! he still knows how to do graff its just that he’s not really doing it right now!
Much respect to KAWS!!!!
January 18th, 2010 at 5:21 am
love his character
love his character
January 18th, 2010 at 5:21 am
skater kids. just …
skater kids. just say skatrs
January 18th, 2010 at 5:21 am
hes no banksy but …
hes no banksy but hes still cool
January 18th, 2010 at 5:21 am
everybody is …
everybody is suckinq his dick sayinq he’s a sellout. are you mad cause your not as famous and you dont qet to have your in Pharrell’s house, or desiqn Kanye’s album cover, or even have your own solo exhibit ? just shut the up and if he’s a sell out then stop watchinq the fuckinq video !
January 18th, 2010 at 5:21 am
shits tite
tite
January 18th, 2010 at 5:21 am
low hat
low hat
January 18th, 2010 at 5:21 am
not former graffiti …
not former graffiti artist…former vandal son. you always a graff artist as long as you do it.