Kate Moss, White Gloves

Kate Moss, White Gloves is a signed screen print in colours on Arches produced by the bold and adventurous American artist and designer, KAWS in 2001. The print depicts the famous supermodel, Kate Moss. Moss’ image is appropriated by KAWS and the artist transforms the model into a cartoon by giving her a skull and crossbone head and gloved hands which are similar to those worn by the beloved cartoon character, Mickey Mouse. KAWS also adds his signature crossed out eyes to the model’s face, a trademark feature of the artist’s visual language.

This print is part of the Models collection, a series of prints in which KAWS appropriates adverts and transforms them using his unique graphic style. KAWS has developed a set of distinct graphics which the artist incorporates into his prints. The skull and crossbone head and crossed out eyes, as seen in Kate Moss, White Gloves, have become a repeated visual motif that not only runs through the Models collection, but the artist’s entire oeuvre.

The Models collection resonates with KAWS’ early experimentations with graffiti. While living in New York in the 1990s, KAWS would unlock the cases of adverts in phone booths and bus shelters, remove the campaigns, and modify the images. The artist would add cartoon characters and make them interact with the products being advertised, or transform the models into cartoons themselves, as is done in Kate Moss, White Gloves. This practise, known as ‘subvertising,’ was fundamental to the development of KAWS’ visual language and graphic style.