THE LONG WAY HOME
2009-02-23Honor Fraser is pleased to present a solo exhibition of new work by KAWS. (Featured opposite, Kurf (Tangle) 2009, Acrylic on canvas, 72 x 96 inches)
The Brooklyn-based artist will be presenting new painting and sculptural work in his first solo show in Los Angeles. KAWS’ technique acts as a sieve of modern culture, filtering and re-contextualizing the images and information that he comes in contact with daily. His process is all encompassing, embracing popular culture and the visual landscape of the familiar. The work can be thought of as an overarching brand; however it is also immediate and organic. This energetic immediacy can be felt in the selection of works that he is presenting. New large paintings included in the exhibition feature his usual cross-section of familiar cultural icons painted with precise execution. The resulting pieces feature the trademark graphic quality inherent in his work. A large life-size Chum acts as a sentry in the space, watching over the works while also playing with scale and proportion.
KAWS roots began as a graffiti artist in the early 1990s, and since then he has built an identity that had its genesis in guerilla imagery added to billboards and bus shelters. He converts familiar visuals into affronting works of art. Through his company OriginalFake he has released limited edition works. He has also collaborated on design projects with Commes Des Garcons, Marc Jacobs, and A Bathing Ape. Most recently he has worked with Kanye West to create the cover art for Kanye’s current album. This reworking of popular culture has grown KAWS into a multi-faceted, multi-pronged endeavor that has ventured into the realm of contemporary art. KAWS situates himself at the crossroads of media and art; a vanguard in the new frontier of the 21st century artistic discourse.
The exhibition runs until the 4th of April 2009
Honor Fraser Gallery
2622 s. la cienega boulevard
Los Angeles
California
90034
