Hands up who had an imaginary friend when they were a child. Oh you poor things. You must have been very lonely. If you’ve still got one, there are people you can talk to about it, they can help.
New York celebrity-artist-brand-collector-entrepreneur and possible part-time superhero KAWS (real uncapitalised name Brian Donnelly) cites almost everyone in pop and abstract art as having contributed a stylistic inspiration for his collection Imaginary Friends, with Keith Haring’s colourful shape-characters and Andy Warhol’s use of repetition among the more apparent influences.
What is clearly evident in his work is a great sense of both energy and texture, the latter provided by clever use of coloured shapes to create a sense of depth and layering. His work often has the feel of an explosion frozen in one still frame, for example his fight scene Cut Through The City, or the weightlessness of No Guarantees. KAWS: not modest (or needs to tell his publicist to tone it down a bit), but undoubtedly very talented.
Imaginary friends is on show at Galerie Perrotin, Paris, until 22nd December.
KAWS
View of the exhibition KAWS “IMAGINARY FRIENDS”,
Galerie Perrotin, Paris, 3 November – 22 December 2012
photo : Guillaume Ziccarelli
Courtesy Galerie Perrotin, Hong Kong & Paris
From left to right:
“NO GUARANTEES” 2012
Acrylique sur toile / Acrylic on canvas
173 x 218,5 cm / 68 x 86 inches
&
“IMAGINARY FRIENDS” 2012
Acrylique sur toile / Acrylic on canvas
267 x 202 cm / 105 x 79.5 inches
KAWS
“CHUM (KCA5)” 2012
Acrylique sur toile montée sur panneau / Acrylic on canvas over panel
213 x 172 x 3 cm / 84 x 68 inches x 1 3/4 inches
Courtesy Galerie Perrotin, Hong Kong & Paris
KAWS
“CUT THROUGH THE CITY” 2012
Acrylique sur toile / Acrylic on canvas
173 x 218,5 cm / 68 x 86 inches
Courtesy Galerie Perrotin, Hong Kong & Paris
KAWS
“HALF EMPTY” 2012
Acrylique sur toile / Acrylic on canvas
305 x 244 cm / 120 x 96 inches
Courtesy Galerie Perrotin, Hong Kong & Paris
KAWS
View of the exhibition KAWS “IMAGINARY FRIENDS”,
Galerie Perrotin, Paris, 3 November – 22 December 2012
photo : Guillaume Ziccarelli
Courtesy Galerie Perrotin, Hong Kong & Paris
