Kaws Appreciation Thread

[RobZ]

Post pictures of your collections/info about upcoming releases/anything related to the artist.

Definitely excited to see how well he does in a gallery setting.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/03/magazine/03wwln-consumed-t.html?_r=2&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss&oref=slogin&oref=slogin

[eastcoastrider27]

Using street ads as his canvas was fucking brilliant, but his stuff today doesn't appeal to me.

Props for cashing in while his stock was high though.

[chromesquared]

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[artificialsky]

hahaha, what is this, 2005?

[RobZ]

Black 4 foot companion is rumored to be releasing. I know somebody bought the last companion..who else is going to drop the ridiculous price for this one?

I need some inheritance moneyz or something.

[tac0tron]

KAWS has done some pretty cool stuff, I like the OF line.

There have been some whack toy releases though, like the Vader or Hasheem dude.

Best KAWS toy ever is the Pushead Companion... even though it's mostly Pushead.

[bencap]

I'm not a very big fan, but I'd really like to see some of his paintings in real life, I've heard they're meticulously done.

[jsn]

[RobZ]

hahaha, what is this, 2005?

Nope 2008, but thanks for your contribution.

[10(50)]

chalk another one up for artificialsky

[AstroWolf]

so if hindsight is 20/20 what is this?

[artificialsky]

Nope 2008, but thanks for your contribution.

[RobZ]

Wouldn't you rather be wasting your time in another thread?

[readytoignite]

Using street ads as his canvas was fucking brilliant, but his stuff today doesn't appeal to me.

i agree, the key difference is the media he works in. as his productions have embraced their own commodification, their meaning have been reduced to mere visual/fashion objects. one of the most appealing aspects about his street work was the friction between the original visual subjects and their compromised state.

there was a recent banksy show last year in new york that had the same problems (magnified by a hanging that tried -and failed - to replicate his work's original urban settings).

i'll probably check it out regardless but don't have too high hopes.

[unklesteve]

There was a recent article in the NYT Magazine about Kaws that really pissed me off.

The gist of the article is that now that he's got a gallery dealer, he can become "established in the art world".

Kid is 33 and a millionaire. Has his own store in Tokyo. Started an empire by hijacking bus-stop advertising posters, and now he's an international art star who managed to do it without becoming an asshole.

I'm stoked that his work is now going to be shown more often, as this means I may finally have a chance to see it up close. Can't afford to collect his toys, so I steer the hell clear of them...I'm too obsessive to get just one.

But really....the passage about needing to be in a permanent collection somewhere to be validated as an artist? Eat a bowl of fuck, art world. Eat. A. Bowl. Of. Fuck.

I'm a fan of his work, but I think he needs to bitch slap the people who are his gallery reps for being so clearly out of touch with his roots and his message.

[RobZ]

I posted that article in my first post actually.

I think it'll be nice for his work to be in galleries, because as many people have said, it is much easier to appreciate it up close. One of his ads he did was on eBay not too long ago but it seems as though very rarely things show up.

I almost pulled the trigger on the JPP but held out. The past couple toy release have been disappointing. I wish I was into his work when some of the companions and twins dropped.

[Augustus]

I liked the collabo tees and some of the hoodies hes done with Bape circa 2005-2006. It's too bad Bape has gone down hill ever since.

[unklesteve]

I posted that article in my first post actually.

I think it'll be nice for his work to be in galleries, because as many people have said, it is much easier to appreciate it up close. One of his ads he did was on eBay not too long ago but it seems as though very rarely things show up.

I almost pulled the trigger on the JPP but held out. The past couple toy release have been disappointing. I wish I was into his work when some of the companions and twins dropped.

Yeah, I re-linked the article out of habit. Easier than going back to the beginning to find it...

I was out playing in the dirt with my kids when the last toy release dropped. Completely lost track of time. I full planned to buy them both, flip them for double (which would have still been a totally reasonable price) and then buy another pair of jeans. Ha.

Of course, they would have arrived and then I wouldn't be able to part with them. So it's for the best that I totally missed on that one.

I'm all for being able to see his work up-close. I just don't cotton much to this notion that he needs a bunch of SoHo douchebags to validate him as an artist. The whole thing just reeks of the patronizing bullshit that keeps me away from most gallery shows.

[poopslush]

I respect the guys process and work ethic but all his shit is the same... Same character, different colorway. snoozzzzzzzzzzze, its not like he gets up anymore anyway. But you guys can keep dropping hundreds of dollars on his pieces of plastic and lining his pockets.

[artificialsky]

HI GUYS MY FAVORITE ARTISTS ARE:

KAWS

FUTURA

ESPO

BANKSY

[homme.homme]

i like the slippers he did... or like, house shoes or whatever you call them. they look like cooshy beanbags for you feet.

[readytoignite]

HI GUYS MY FAVORITE ARTISTS ARE:

KAWS

FUTURA

ESPO

BANKSY

no pushead, terry richardson or neckface? faillllll

unklesteve, i'm sorry that the art world has hurt your feelings. luckily all those soho douches have been mostly displaced by, um, stores catering to other soho douches. who has the last laugh now?