Meaning & Analysis

Jalouse is an offset print produced by the renowned American artist and designer, KAWS in 2007. The print depicts a French magazine cover and Jalouse is written in bold red letters at the top of the composition. The cover features a model staring alluringly at the viewer, holding a dessert and seductively licking a knife. KAWS appropriates the magazine cover by adding his signature Mickey Mouse-style gloves to the model. He also adds one of his iconic cartoon characters to the image, draping the pink and orange cartoon around the model’s neck.

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This print is part of the Models collection which is composed of a set of prints that appropriate images of models and commercials. In each print in the collection, KAWS either defaces the models by drawing comic cartoon characteristics on their faces and bodies, as is seen in this print, or adds one of his cartoon characters to the image, making them interact with the models. The collection explores themes of globalisation and consumerism and KAWS mocks the advertising industry by transforming their adverts into his own artworks.

Jalouse and the other prints in the Models collection are reminiscent of KAWS’ early experimentation with graffiti. While living in New York in the 1990s, KAWS would unlock cases of adverts in phone booths and bus shelters, removing the campaigns, and modifying the images by adding his graphic designs, like he does in this collection. This practise was known as ‘subvertising’ and the Models collection clearly harks back to this period of KAWS’ artistic career.