KAWS |
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 Feb 5 2009, 10:19 AM
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#1
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 ^_^  Group: Staff Alumni Posts: 8,141 Joined: Jan 2005 Member No: 91,466  |
QUOTE KAWS (born Brian Donnelly) 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 New York City 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 New York, 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,"[2] 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 Nigo for A Bathing Ape, Jun “Jonio” 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. Recent solo exhibitions include OriginalFake at the Bape Gallery in Tokyo (2003) and Tokyo First at Parco Gallery in Tokyo (2001). KAWS has been periodically showing both paintings and products at Colette in Paris since 1999. 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. I'm a KAWS fan, if you may not have already noticed. I respect what he's done for graffiti artists. For years, all those who oppose urban art (graffiti) argue that it isn't a legtimate art form. I, obviously, disagree with that. Look what happens when a talented graff artist gets an opportunity. |
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Feb 5 2009, 11:48 AM
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#2
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^_^ Group: Staff Alumni Posts: 8,141 Joined: Jan 2005 Member No: 91,466 |
QUOTE(divergent @ Feb 5 2009, 06:57 PM)  I despise tag names. :-\ Why? |
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Feb 5 2009, 01:41 PM
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#3
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 ◕ ◡ ◕ Group: Official Member Posts: 4,779 Joined: Jun 2006 Member No: 416,697 |
tbh i never heard of him until toy series, which i thought was so cute.
 i want this in my room someday. |
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Feb 5 2009, 01:43 PM
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#4
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 I'm Jc Group: Mentor Posts: 13,619 Joined: Jul 2006 Member No: 437,556 |
i like him.
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Feb 5 2009, 02:11 PM
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#5
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^_^ Group: Staff Alumni Posts: 8,141 Joined: Jan 2005 Member No: 91,466 |
QUOTE(divergent @ Feb 5 2009, 09:45 PM) It's just so juvenile, really. When you see it around your high school on everything, (this referring to the graffiti) having Take5 written around your campus by a group of kids is just, irritating. Though, the person, figurine, is kinda cool. Graffiti is street art built on anonymity. Your pen name is more than just a name you go by, it's a figure of the graff community that you can build into something great; something bigger than yourself. To have nothing and want to express yourself in a way that everyone can see; to mark your territory on a wall that is itching for an elaborate piece; that is art in motion. --fameONE |
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Feb 5 2009, 05:19 PM
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#6
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 Senior Member Group: Official Member Posts: 1,288 Joined: Oct 2007 Member No: 585,380 |
His stuff is pretty wicked, original too.
Any reason that when i look up some of his art up on Deviant Art a little bit of Kanye West pictures come up? Just wondering. I noticed his work on your av/sig, thanks for letting me know about him. |
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Feb 5 2009, 05:22 PM
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#7
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I'm Jc Group: Mentor Posts: 13,619 Joined: Jul 2006 Member No: 437,556 |
^ he did album art for kanye's latest album
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Feb 5 2009, 05:25 PM
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#8
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◕ ◡ ◕ Group: Official Member Posts: 4,779 Joined: Jun 2006 Member No: 416,697 |
u r 2 fast jc
   
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Feb 5 2009, 05:31 PM
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#9
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Senior Member Group: Official Member Posts: 1,288 Joined: Oct 2007 Member No: 585,380 |
^Thats pretty awesome, i didn't even notice the hands where the same on that album.
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Feb 5 2009, 05:33 PM
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#10
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◕ ◡ ◕ Group: Official Member Posts: 4,779 Joined: Jun 2006 Member No: 416,697 |
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