Standing at the feet of KAWS' 18-foot high Companion figures, I could imagine how Ann Darrow felt staring up at King Kong. The pieces are, without a doubt, the most monumental works in the two-part exhibition of graffiti artist Brian Donnelly, better known as KAWS. Like King Kong, the figures' faces are menacing yet sensitive: in At This Time, one of the giants buries his head in his hands. In Along The Way, two figures slouch in despair.
Perhaps the other reason the Afromosian wood giants don't look like they're going to blast through the ceiling of the Mary Boone Gallery and scale a skyscraper is their resemblance to another pop culture icon, Mickey Mouse. Cartoon characters are a favorite of KAWS; at Galerie Perrotin, canvases are cut out in the shapes of Garfield and Felix the Cat and covered with dizzying shapes and colors.
Cartoons are in line with KAWS' artistic manifesto: to create contemporary art for as many different audiences as possible. In addition to painting, sculpture, and graffiti, he has created installations for The Standard Hotel and produces a clothing and toy line called OriginalFake. Passing between the worlds of commercial and fine art isn't easy, but the Brooklyn resident has managed to achieve both aesthetic and financial success. Did I mention that the gargantuan At This Time has already sold? Good luck finding a spot for that one in the family living room!
909 Madison Avenue
New York, NY 10021
Map
Mary Boone Gallery
541 W 24th Street
New York, NY 10011
MAP
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KAWS, "Along The Way," 2013
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KAWS, "Along The Way" (left) and "At This Time" (right), 2013![]()
KAWS, "Along The Way"![]()
KAWS, “Transitive Property" (2013) Photo: Farzad Owrang![]()
KAWS, “Going As Friends” (2013) Photo: Farzad Owrang![]()
KAWS “Afternoon Delight” (2013) Photo: Farzad Owrang
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KAWS, "Choices," (2013)
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KAWS, "A Trade of Trust," (2013)
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KAWS, "Nobody" (
Perhaps the other reason the Afromosian wood giants don't look like they're going to blast through the ceiling of the Mary Boone Gallery and scale a skyscraper is their resemblance to another pop culture icon, Mickey Mouse. Cartoon characters are a favorite of KAWS; at Galerie Perrotin, canvases are cut out in the shapes of Garfield and Felix the Cat and covered with dizzying shapes and colors.
Cartoons are in line with KAWS' artistic manifesto: to create contemporary art for as many different audiences as possible. In addition to painting, sculpture, and graffiti, he has created installations for The Standard Hotel and produces a clothing and toy line called OriginalFake. Passing between the worlds of commercial and fine art isn't easy, but the Brooklyn resident has managed to achieve both aesthetic and financial success. Did I mention that the gargantuan At This Time has already sold? Good luck finding a spot for that one in the family living room!
Though December 21st at Mary Boone Gallery and Galerie Perrotin | Photos courtesy of Mary Boone Gallery and Galerie Perrotin
909 Madison Avenue
New York, NY 10021
Map
Mary Boone Gallery
541 W 24th Street
New York, NY 10011
MAP
KAWS, "Along The Way," 2013
KAWS, "Along The Way" (left) and "At This Time" (right), 2013
KAWS, "Along The Way"
KAWS, “Transitive Property" (2013) Photo: Farzad Owrang
KAWS, “Going As Friends” (2013) Photo: Farzad Owrang
KAWS “Afternoon Delight” (2013) Photo: Farzad Owrang
KAWS, "Choices," (2013)
KAWS, "A Trade of Trust," (2013)
KAWS, "Nobody" (