KAWS - Under the Influence New York Friday, March 7, 2014 | Phillips

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  • Provenance

    Artificial Gallery, London
    Private Collection

  • Catalogue Essay

    "I have been painting my whole life. I truly enjoy painting and I worked hard so I can be in a position to paint. When I am painting, it’s a really good time for me. I can zone out on most other things in life and can just be in the studio and focus."- KAWS, 2012

  • Artist Biography

    KAWS

    American • 1974

    To understand the work of KAWS is to understand his roots in the skateboard and graffiti crews of New York City. Brian Donnelly chose KAWS as his moniker to tag city streets beginning in the 1990s, and quickly became a celebrated standout in the scene. Having swapped spray paint for explorations in fine art spanning sculpture, painting and collage, KAWS has maintained a fascination with classic cartoons, including Garfield, SpongeBob SquarePants and The Simpsons, and reconfigured familiar subjects into a world of fantasy. 

    Perhaps he is most known for his larger-than-life fiberglass sculptures that supplant the body of Mickey Mouse onto KAWS' own imagined creatures, often with 'x'-ed out eyes or ultra-animated features. However, KAWS also works frequently in neon and vivid paint, adding animation and depth to contemporary paintings filled with approachable imagination. There is mass appeal to KAWS, who exhibits globally and most frequently in Asia, Europe and the United States.  

    View More Works

118

Untitled

1997
acrylic on cardboard
10 1/4 x 11 1/4 in. (26 x 28.6 cm.)
Signed and dated "KAWS 97" lower right.

Estimate
$15,000 - 20,000 

Sold for $21,250

Contact Specialist
Benjamin Godsill
Head of Sale bgodsill@phillips.com
+1 212 940 1256

Under the Influence

New York Auction 7 March 2014 2pm