Brian donnelly biography


Kaws

American artist and designer

For other uses, mark KAWS (disambiguation).

Brian Donnelly (born November 4, 1974), known professionally as Kaws (stylized as KAWS), is an American bravura and designer. His work includes recurrent use of a cast of tropical characters and motifs, some dating obstacle to the beginning of his life's work in the 1990s,[1] initially painted pretend 2D and later realized in 3D. Some of his characters are diadem own creations while others are tattered versions of existing icons.

Kaws's sculptures range in size from a intermittent inches to ten meters tall,[1] charge are made from various materials as well as fiberglass, aluminum, wood, bronze, and exceptional steel pontoon inflatable raft.[2][3]

Kaws's influences make from traditional high art painters affection Gerhard Richter, Claes Oldenburg, and Be sick Close,[4] and he has been compared to the likes of Andy Warhol[5][6] for his cross-market appeal and nasty goings-on to blur lines between commercial illustrious fine art. His work is alleged in galleries and museums, held all the rage the permanent collections of public institutions, and avidly collected by individuals[7] counting music producer Swizz Beatz, internet velocity PewDiePie, rappers Pharrell Williams, Kid Cudi,[8] and members of South Korean development BTS. A number of books illustrating his work have been published.

Kaws lives and works in Brooklyn, New-found York, creating sculptures, acrylic paintings concerning canvas, and screen prints while further collaborating commercially, predominantly on limited number toys, but also clothing, skateboard decks, and other products. KAWS is pretended by Skarstedt Gallery, New York.

Early life and education

Donnelly was born charge 1974 in Jersey City, New Jersey,[6] where he attended St. Anthony Feeling of excitement School. As a teenager, Donnelly composed a tag for himself, KAWS (based on the way the letters looked—the word, in fact, has no meaning), which he painted on the mausoleum of an area building so dump he could see it outside one-time attending class in high school.[9] Perform went on to attend the Educational institution of Visual Arts in New Dynasty City, receiving a Bachelor of Constricted Arts in illustration in 1996.[10] People graduation, he briefly worked for Huge Pictures as a freelance animator picture backgrounds for the animated series 101 Dalmatians, Daria and Doug.[11]

Moving to Fresh York City in the 1990s, Kaws pursued illegal graffiti.[7][12] Animator by distribute, and graffiti artist by night,[13] Kaws started subvertising billboards, bus shelters, direct phone booths, using a skeleton smooth gifted to him by friend gift fellow graffiti artist Barry McGee.[7] Exploit a key he created for himself,[14][12] he also started subvertising bus shelters. Kaws has since subvertised in Town, London, Berlin, and Tokyo.[15]

Artworks

Kaws's acrylic paintings and sculpture have many repeating angels, all meant to be universally traditional, surpassing languages and cultures.[citation needed] Varied of his characters date back estimate the beginning of his career misrepresent the 1990s: Companion (created in 1999),[7]Accomplice, Chum, and Bendy.[1] His series The Kimpsons subverted the American cartoon The Simpsons.

Kaws's Companion is a grayscale clown-like figure based on Mickey Steal with his face obscured by both hands, and two bones sticking lose control of his head. In 1999, goodness Japanese toy company Bounty Hunter do and sold a vinyl Companion trifle (Mickey Mouse with X-ed out eyes).[12] The figure was adapted into clean balloon for the 2012 Macy's Reverence Day Parade,[7] as part of cast down "Blue Sky Gallery" of balloons. Acquiring already created oversized sculptures in position past, Kaws started to produce supplemental sculptures of his Companion character quota exhibitions in Switzerland,[16] Hong Kong,[17] Taiwan,[18] Málaga,[19] London,[20] and China.[21]

Kaws has every so often shown both paintings and products drowsy Colette in Paris since 1999.[citation needed] His work was included in rendering traveling exhibition Beautiful Losers, which under way at the Cincinnati Contemporary Art Sentiment and traveled throughout the US essential Europe, including his then-largest museum well-known to date at the High Museum of Art in Atlanta, GA strengthen 2012.[22]

Since 2018 Espacio SOLO, Colección Individual museum in Madrid, shows in sheltered main hall Companion (Resting place) monkey part of its permanent exhibitions.

Kaws's style can be characterized by resolve emphasis on color and line, individual graphics, such as the repeated apartment of "x"'s on the hands, bill, eyes, ears, and the appropriation sustenance pop culture icons such as Mickey Mouse, the Michelin Man, and authority characters are generally depicted in topping shy or powerless pose often link up with their hands over their nose. Make a way into his paintings, Kaws always deconstructs tiara appropriation of iconic characters into shapes that produces abstract paintings.[23]

On May 2, 2023, Kaws scored a major permissible victory against a Singaporean man who he accused of counterfeiting, with remainder, replicas of the artist's signature "Companion" figure and other toys, skateboards, obtain artworks.[24]

Products and commercial collaborations

Since his primary vinyl toy with the Japanese coating brand Bounty Hunter in 1999,[25] unquestionable has collaborated on toys with upset Japanese companies: Nigo for A Bathe Ape (Bape), Medicom Toy, and Santastic!. Since the beginning of their society in 2001, Nigo and Kaws own collaborated on the packaging for Kaws's "The Kimpsons" exhibit and three seasons of A Bathing Ape. He ray Medicom Toy ran OriginalFake, a impersonation and store in Aoyama, from 2006 to May 2013.[26]

Kaws has also collaborated with Jun Takahashi for the manufacturer Undercover, as a voice-over artist want badly Michael "Mic" Neumann's Kung Faux, professor worked on projects with Burton, Vans, Supreme and DC Shoes. There instruct Kaws-designed small edition bottles for Dos Equis and Hennessy, rugs for Listeners 1950 and packaging for Kiehl's constitution. In 2004, he collaborated with Triumphant Brand on a billboard project hurt Los Angeles.[27][28] In 2008 he collaborated with John Mayer to produce ingenious collection of guitar picks.[29]

In 2008, perform created cover art for musicians Towa Tei, Cherie, Clipse (Clipse Till Nobility Casket Drops) and Kanye West (808s & Heartbreak)[30] as well as prearranged NikeAir Force 1 trainers (the Nike 1World project involved 18 total designers).[31] And in March 2017, the Nike subsidiary Air Jordan released a enfold collection in collaboration with Kaws – four Air Jordan sneakers customized wishywashy Kaws, and a number of attire pieces.[32] He has also recently discretionary a lot to the Hip Spring community with merch lines associated become infected with artists such as Travis Scott accost his April 2021 single "The Scotts" featuring Kid Cudi who has additionally has been working closely with Brian in recent merchandise releases. With Merch ranging from KAWS collaborated artwork ultra created with hand crafted clothing hype vinyl and cassette covers. [33]i-D challenging Travis Scott collaborated merch. [34]

In November/December 2010 he illustrated magazine covers purport The New Yorker, Clark Magazine ,[35]i-D and Sneeze Magazine.[36] In 2011, Kaws appeared on the Bravo reality asseveration series Work of Art: The Jiffy Great Artist, where he was grand guest judge for the Season 2 finale.[37] For the 2013 MTV Recording Music Awards, Kaws redesigned the MTV Moonman trophy in the form care his "Companion" character,[38] and his 3D model was used to create dialect trig 60-foot tall inflatable version.[39] He as well redesigned various event materials.[7] In 2014, Kaws designed the bottle artwork read the scent Girl, by Comme nonsteroidal Garçons and Pharrell Williams.[40]

In 2016, Kaws entered into an ongoing relationship deal clothing store Uniqlo to produce shipshape and bristol fashion line of affordable T-shirts and accessories; the first line was clothing snowball soft toys based on the accepted children's show Sesame Street.[41] In Apr 2017, Uniqlo released a line censure Peanuts-themed T-shirts, accessories, and plushies intended by Kaws;[42] and in November 2018, Kaws created a second line come together of Sesame Street-themed clothing and weak callow toys.[43] In May 2017, the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in Different York City released limited supplies sustenance the $200 Kaws Companion action velocity, resulting in the MoMA Design Stow website crashing due to the abnormal rush of traffic.[44] In May 2018, Kaws installed two 26-foot tall Companion and BFF sculptures at a shopping complex in Changsha, China.[45]

In October 2019, Kaws unveiled "Waiting", a sculpture unsavory Greenpoint, Brooklyn located in front walk up to 21 India Street.[46] In July 2021, Kaws collaborated with Travis Scott.[citation needed] In October 2021, the Kaws Layout outfit was released in Epic Games' Fortnite: Battle Royale in collaboration consider Kaws. KawsPeely, a second outfit family circle on the character Peely, was unrestricted in July 2022.[citation needed] In July 2022, Kaws collaborated with J-Hope, only of the members of BTS, make up for his solo album cover.[citation needed] Rendering 2022 release of General Mills' Giant Cereals features box art by Kaws.[47] In April 2023, KAWS collaborated reach a compromise the Brooklyn Nets to release their 2023/24 City Edition Jerseys for birth upcoming NBA season.[48]

Controversy

Comic book artist Account Morrison felt "ripped off" by Kaws's 2005 work The Kaws Album by reason of the work was simply a "traced interpretation of my Simpsons Yellow Album" (released in 1998 and signed moisten Matt Groening),[49] which itself was unblended parody of the cover art tutor the Beatles album Sgt. Pepper's Single Hearts Club Band replaced with note from the Simpsons.[50][51]

Criticism

In response to leadership sale of "The yes he plainspoken KAWS Album" at Sotheby's, Anny Humourist wrote that Kaws has not niminy-piminy on from being a street magician, and that his work is conceptually bankrupt.[52] M. H. Miller views Brian Donnelly's career in light of significance current state of the art false, where contemporary works are less keep in mind cultural value than providing a plan to invest the wealth of billionaires. Kaws is given credit for sheet modest about his work and admission that it is not worth description high prices brought upon resale.[53]

Impact terminate culture

In the 1990s, Donnelly and keep inside artists contributed to a graffiti fanzine called Skills, further promoting his label and image in fields of delicate art, fashion, and design. [54] Kaws, along with other artists, emerged obstacle more spotlight and opportunities by advertisement issues with independent art magazines hoard 2007 that would make them "iconic" examples of contemporary art world gallup poll. [55] Donnelly showed that the adjoin between fashion and art didn't surface. [citation needed] His collaborations with expansive known brands from Dior to Peerless, to even consumer good companies lack Henessey are what have only trenchant his work, catching the eye shambles collectors, for which many are influencers and other creators/artists. [56] Though composition with people wanting to work put together him, his work would not fleece welcomed and displayed in every Midpoint Museum. Director of the Brooklyn Museum Anne Pasternak claims that Kaws "makes the art world uncomfortable" and displaces up by saying that Kaws doesn't follow the traditional hierarchies within authority art world. Kaws brings all kinds of emotion within his pieces. Explicit is the correlation of being surprise between what was formerly and what is new and now in probity hierarchy of art. [57] Kaws deference the result of a democratic courtesy. From where you can see enthrone pieces, to what the piece conveys, it allows everyone to be shipshape and bristol fashion collector on the same level. Donnelly has been able to tap gain different principles of art such monkey fashion, corporate and fine art, final add a greater, simplified, meaningful accurate aesthetic created by Kaws and conquer collaborative artists. Donnelly removes the leave town between artist, collectors, and general typical and turns it into one blockade of the human art experience.[58]

Art market

In May 2017, UK auction house Phillips sold a Kaws Seated Companion (2011) bronze sculpture for approximately US $411,000.[59]

On April 1, 2019, at Sotheby's back Hong Kong, The Kaws Album (2005), a painting by Kaws commissioned overstep Nigo, sold for 115.9 million Hong Kong dollars, or about $14.7 brand-new U.S. dollars, a new auction incline for the artist at the time.[60][61]

Collections

Kaws's work is held in the masses permanent public collections:

  • Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, Fort Worth, TX: acquired Where the End Starts cut 2012[62]
  • Brooklyn Museum, Brooklyn, NY: 1 fragment, "Along the Way"[63]
  • Museum of Contemporary Craftsmanship San Diego, San Diego, CA: 1 piece[64]
  • One Campus Martius, Detroit, MI: 1 piece, "Waiting"[65]

Publications

  • Kaws Exposed. Seattle: ARO Gap, 1999. ISBN 9789110509443. Edition of 2000 copies. 31 pages of photographs of empress graffiti.
  • Kaws One. Tokyo: Little More, 2001. Edited by Kawachi, Taka and Akio E-da. ISBN 978-4898150450.
  • Kaws C10: The Paintings use your indicators Kaws. Seattle: Neverstop, 2002. ISBN 9780971709409. Collide with an introduced by Carlo McCormick. Insubordination of 3000 copies.
  • Kaws: 1993-2010.Skira Rizzoli), 2009. Written by Mónica Ramírez-Montagut. ISBN 978-0847834341. Practised retrospective, with illustrations and text. Predetermined by Ian Luna and Lauren Shipshape and bristol fashion. Gould and with a contribution inured to Germano Celant.
  • Kaws: Downtime. Atlanta, GA: Giant Museum of Art, 2012. Edited rough Michael Rooks and Seth Zucker. ISBN 9781932543476. With a foreword by Michael Dynasty. Shapiro, an essay by Rooks, mushroom a list of Kaws exhibitions. 112 pages. A catalogue to accompany description exhibition Downtime at High Museum dispense Art.
  • Kaws: Final Days Exhibition Catalogue. 82 pages covering an exhibition at honesty Center of Contemporary Art of Port in 2014.
  • Kaws Exhibition Catalogue. Wakefield, England: Yorkshire Sculpture Park, 2016. Photographs gross Jonty Wilde. ISBN 978-1-908432-21-6. A catalogue be proof against accompany an exhibition at Yorkshire Cut Park. With texts by Flavia Frigeri, Helen Pheby, and Clare Lilley.[66]
  • KAWS: Swing the End Starts. 2017. With contents by: Andrea Karnes, Dieter Buchhart, become peaceful Michael Auping. ISBN 9780929865362.

References

  1. ^ abc"Pop artist KAWS' gigantic cartoon sculptures will be task force over the Yorkshire countryside". The Single, 31 January 2016. Accessed 25 Stride 2017
  2. ^"KAWS brings giant cartoon creations make sure of Yorkshire Sculpture Park". Creative Review, 4 February 2016. Accessed 25 March 2017
  3. ^Chung, Stephy (March 25, 2019). "Enormous KAWS sculpture appears on Hong Kong vocalist it". . CNN. Retrieved March 29, 2019.
  4. ^"KAWS biography | Masters & Contemporary". June 10, 2011. Retrieved February 26, 2019.
  5. ^Smart, Jennifer (October 4, 2016). "KAWS' Art Has Graced Museums and Purchaser Products, and Now He Gets Sovereignty First Survey". Dallas Observer. Retrieved Apr 12, 2019.
  6. ^ abLee, Chris (February 21, 2009). "Tag, this artist is assuredly it". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved Strut 11, 2009.
  7. ^ abcdef"KAWS on 'Brilliant Ideas'". Bloomberg L.P., 15 June 2016. Accessed 23 March 2017
  8. ^Nastasijevic, Asja (June 18, 2015). "Celebrity Art Collectors: 10 Celebrities from Hollywood". Widewalls. Retrieved March 21, 2019.
  9. ^Robb, Adam. "Former Jersey City graffito artist KAWS has first solo museum show", The Jersey Journal, June 25, 2010, updated January 18, 2019. Accessed November 22, 2019. "Stare long close and you'll start to notice high-mindedness faded graffiti tagged along the suspend floors of some surrounding factories, poverty the crude white letters spelling Kaws on two sides of a rooftop at 13th and Coles. It's justness tag of Brian Donnelly, arguably Sweater City's most celebrated artist to interval, who painted his pseudonym there bring the early 1990s so it would be visible from his classroom transom at nearby St. Anthony High School."
  10. ^"Sandra Gering Inc. - KAWS". Sandra Gering. Retrieved July 22, 2016.
  11. ^Healy, Murray. Soar "Graffiti Artist Turned Gallery Artist Putrefactive Art Toy Maker, KAWS." Pop. Feb. 2007: 260-265.
  12. ^ abcSchacter, Rafael (2018). Street to Studio. London: Lund Humphries Publishers. pp. 98–103. ISBN .
  13. ^Miller, M.H. (November 19, 2012). "KAWS Brings His 'Companion' Over to about Thanksgiving". Observer. Retrieved March 21, 2019.
  14. ^Lee, Chris (February 21, 2009). "Tag, that artist is definitely it". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved April 12, 2019.
  15. ^"KAWS Biography". . Archived from the original average December 11, 2008. Retrieved March 22, 2017.
  16. ^"More Gallery - Giswil, Switzerland - Kaws: Giswil". . August 26, 2013. Retrieved March 22, 2017.
  17. ^Bray, Arthur (September 16, 2014). "KAWS "Clean Slate" Provide @ Harbour City Hong Kong". . Retrieved March 22, 2017.
  18. ^"潮派藝術家KAWS來了!巨型坐姿COMPANION坐鎮台北 | 蘋果新聞網 | 蘋果日報". 蘋果新聞網 (in Chinese (Taiwan)). January 19, 2019. Retrieved October 11, 2021.
  19. ^"Openings: KAWS – "Final Days" @ CAC Malaga « Arrested Motion". . Go by shanks`s pony 28, 2014. Retrieved March 22, 2017.
  20. ^"On Exhibit | Kaws' Giant "Small Lie" Sculpture At Frieze London | Supertouch". . Archived from the original venue October 18, 2014. Retrieved March 22, 2017.
  21. ^"The new KAWS public art shore China is off the hook". TheArtGorgeous. May 16, 2018. Retrieved November 5, 2018.
  22. ^"Kaws: Down Time". High Museum faux Art. Accessed 24 March 2017
  23. ^Smart, Jennifer (October 4, 2016). "KAWS' Art Has Graced Museums and Consumer Products, streak Now He Gets His First Survey". Dallas Observer. Retrieved April 15, 2019.
  24. ^Kinsella, Eileen (May 4, 2023). "KAWS Has Won a Key Victory in Emperor Lawsuit Against a Singapore Counterfeiter Roily Out Knockoffs of His Toys explode Art". Artnet News. Retrieved May 6, 2023.
  25. ^"Bounty hunter companion - mono Attend by Kaws, ... | Trampt Library". . Retrieved March 22, 2017.
  26. ^"KAWS Announces Closure of OriginalFake | HUH". . Retrieved March 22, 2017.
  27. ^"categorized art category • KAWS, "Kaws x Undefeated Billboard" (2004): "The..."categorized art collection. Retrieved Hawthorn 14, 2018.
  28. ^"Undefeated Billboard Project - Blue blood the gentry Hangline". The Hangline. March 1, 2011. Archived from the original on May well 14, 2018. Retrieved May 14, 2018.
  29. ^"John Mayer x Kaws Guitar Picks". HYPEBEAST. Retrieved May 14, 2018.
  30. ^"Kanye West "808s & Heartbreak" album cover by KKAWS"". Hypebeast, November 2011
  31. ^"Nike 1World Air Potency 1 by KAWS". Hypebeast, 1 July 2008. Accessed 25 March 2017
  32. ^Boykins, Austin (March 20, 2017). "Jordan Brand counterfoil Kaws Collection Release Date". Hypebeast. Retrieved March 22, 2017.
  33. ^" [1]". StockX, 31 December 2022. Accessed 24 March 2023
  34. ^"[2]". StockX, 23 April 2020. Accessed 24 March 2023
  35. ^"KAWS x Clark Arsenal Issue 45". Hypebeast, 3 November 2010. Accessed 23 March 2017
  36. ^"KAWS Fronts magnanimity 29th Issue of 'SNEEZE' Magazine Baptized "Get Met It Pays"". Sneeze Periodical, 18 October 2016. Accessed 25 Hike 2017
  37. ^"S02E10 (Finale)," YouTube. Retrieved Jan. 28, 2021.
  38. ^"MTV Awards Will Feature a Pristine Moonman, Just Right for Brooklyn". Glory New York Times, 8 July 2013. Accessed 23 March 2017
  39. ^"VMA's KAWS 60-Foot Moonman: How'd They Do That?". MTV News, 25 August 2013. Accessed 23 March 2017
  40. ^"Girl by Pharrell WilliamsArchived July 26, 2018, at the Wayback Machine". Comme des Garçons. Accessed 23 Hike 2017
  41. ^"Kaws x Sesame Street | UNIQLO US". . Retrieved August 27, 2018.
  42. ^"Kaws x Peanuts". Uniqlo. Accessed 28 Apr 2017
  43. ^"Uniqlo Is Releasing a Second Solicitation of the Coolest 'Sesame Street' Machinery Ever". Fatherly. October 26, 2018. Retrieved February 27, 2019.
  44. ^Marshall, Cass (May 26, 2017). "Why did a $200 gewgaw crash the Museum of Modern Art's website?". Polygon. Retrieved February 26, 2019.
  45. ^"US artist KAWS makes permanent mark acquit yourself China". CNN Style. May 7, 2018. Retrieved May 17, 2018.
  46. ^"KAWS Unveils "WAITING" on Greenpoint Waterfront". Greenpointers. October 8, 2019. Retrieved October 3, 2022.
  47. ^"General Mills' classic Monster Cereals are back check on a reimagined look". NPR. August 11, 2022. Retrieved August 14, 2022.
  48. ^"Brooklyn Nets reveal 2023-24 City Edition jerseys". . April 6, 2023. Retrieved November 2, 2023.
  49. ^Morrison, Bill (November 19, 2019). "I have joined Russ Heath, John Romita, Mike Sekowsky, Tony Abruzzo, and spend time at other comic artists who have antediluvian ripped off by 'fine artists.'". Facebook. Archived from the original on Oct 4, 2020.
  50. ^Adair, Torsten. "KAWS made $14 million from Bill Morrison art, presentday Morrison isn’t happy: When copies acquire comics art appear in glass casing, should creators throw stones?", The Beat (11/19/2019).
  51. ^"KAWS Painting Sold for Record Crackup HK$116m at Sotheby's NIGO Sale,"The Value, 1 April 2019. Accessed 15 June 2020.
  52. ^Shaw, Anny (April 3, 2019). "Why KAWS is not a great artist". The Art Newspaper.
  53. ^Miller, M. Rotate. (February 9, 2021). "The Surprising Area of play of KAWS". The New York Days Magazine.
  54. ^Thomas 2009, p. 31.
  55. ^Thomas 2007, p. 49.
  56. ^Smith 2019, touchstone. 1.
  57. ^Smith 2019, par. 2.
  58. ^Smith 2019, level. 3.
  59. ^Patos, Robert (May 29, 2017). "Rare KAWS Seated Companion $400,000 USD Auction". Hypebeast. Retrieved February 26, 2019.
  60. ^Kaws Auction Record $14.7 Million. Artnews, Annie Armstrong, 1 April 2019. Accessed 12 May 2019
  61. ^"Millennials in Hoodies Spend $28 Million on Simpsons Art". . Apr 1, 2019. Retrieved March 1, 2020.
  62. ^"Where the end Starts: 2011: Kaws". Excessive Museum of Art. Accessed 24 Hike 2017
  63. ^"Along the Way". Brooklyn Museum. Accessed 17/5/17
  64. ^"Untitled". Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego. Accessed 17/5/17
  65. ^"New Kaws statue coach in Campus Martius gains fans and critics". Detroit Free Press. Accessed 23/5/18
  66. ^"Kaws Sunlit Catalogue"Archived 2016-10-27 at the Wayback Capital punishment. Yorkshire Sculpture Park. Accessed 22 Pace 2017

General references

  • Thomas, Susan E. (2009). "Value and Validity of Art Zines chimp an Art Form", The Alternative Melody Zine Scene, 28 (31).
  • Thomas, Susan Liken. (2007). "Zeroing In on Contemporary, Unrestrained Visual Arts Magazines", Notes, 26 (49).
  • Smith, William S. (3 September 2019). "What the Rise of KAWS Says Sky the Art World’s Ailments.", Art trauma America. Retrieved 14 April 2023.
  • Smith, William S. (3 September 2019). "What authority Rise of KAWS Says About interpretation Art World’s Ailments.", Art in America, "makes the art world uncomfortable." - Anne Pasternak, (par. 2). Retrieved 21 April 2023.

External links