拍品 112
  • 112

KAWS | Untitled (MBFH1)

估價
250,000 - 350,000 GBP
招標截止

描述

  • Kaws
  • Untitled (MBFH1)
  • acrylic on canvas
  • 147.3 by 121.9 cm. 58 by 48 in.
  • Executed in 2014.

來源

Acquired directly from the artist by the present owner

Condition

Colour: The colours in the catalogue illustration are fairly accurate. Condition: This work is in very good condition. No restoration is apparent when examined under ultra-violet light.
"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."

拍品資料及來源

Executed in KAWS inimitable graphic style, Untitled (MBFH1) is the perfect summation of the artists iconic lexicon. The present work epitomises the playful dynamism and sophisticated manipulation of familiar imagery that distinguishes the artist’s acclaimed output. Having come a long way from the bus stop graffiti of 1990s New Jersey and New York, KAWS is regarded as one of the most important painters of his generation for the precision of his craftsmanship and the ingenuity of reconceptualising some of American culture’s most beloved icons. Appropriating cartoon characters, such as the Michelin Man, the Simpsons, Mickey Mouse, and as in Untitled (MBFH1), a close-up of Peanuts’ Woodstock, KAWS uses iconic figures to develop a Pop art sensibility with rich cultural commentary. The artist has described how, “Even though I use a comic language, my figures are not always reflecting the idealistic cartoon view that I grew up on, where everything has a happy ending… I think when I’m making work it also often mirrors what is going on with me at that time. Things change – sometimes it’s tense in the studio, other times things are good. I want to understand the world I’m in and, for me, making and seeing art is a way to do that” (KAWS  in: Exh. Cat., Fort Worth, Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, KAWS: WHERE THE END STARTS, 2016, p. 5). The rendering of Woodstock in Untitled (MBFH1) is done to such a high degree of finish that it recalls Andy Warhol’s factory approach in which there is no evidence of the artist’s hand. Despite the apparently manufactured image, KAWS painted it by hand, patiently layering each area of monochrome colour with a stunning deftness.

In addition to artistic predecessors like Claes Oldenburg, Tom Wesselmann, and Jeff Koons, KAWS has expressed the major influence he received from Keith Haring. KAWS adopted Haring’s politically-imbued Pop art and even used the artist’s Pop Shop as an inspiration for his own boutique shop/line OriginalFake. In his practice, KAWS builds upon the legacy of these pioneering artists who questioned the consumerist tendencies of modern society, establishing his signature style in the third generation of the Pop art movement. Just as Keith Haring’s classic radiant baby and barking dog permeated culture in the 1980s, KAWS cartoon figures are now icons of our time.