KAWS, NO-ONE’S HOME, STAY STEADY, THE THINGS THAT COMFORT, SIGNED SCREEN PRINT, EDITION OF 250, 2015
In this bold triptych KAWS pays homage to everyone’s favourite cartoon dog, Snoopy – originally from the Peanuts series by Charles Schulz. Here the beloved character is shown in three different poses, his figure an instantly recognisable silhouette that is filled in with an assemblage of body parts, sketches and bands of colour as if Snoopy’s outline was just a window onto a box filled with KAWS’ go-to motifs.
With such complex imagery and bold colour combinations, KAWS appears to be testing the limits of the screen print as medium, following in the footsteps of the Pop artists who inspired him, such as Andy Warhol and Keith Haring, to produce daring and slick editions. A medium traditionally associated with advertising and commercial printing, serigraphy – as screen printing is also known – here proves itself to be perfectly suited to KAWS’ inimitable and cutting edge style. While others made use of its bleeds and overlays KAWS tends to favour precision and slickness to achieve a flatness and polish that is only fitting for his 21st century aesthetic, his love for vinyl toys and the clean lines of cartoons.
As with any character featured in a work by KAWS, this version of Snoopy features the artist’s signature XX eyes. These Xs can be read as a calling card left by KAWS after the act of appropriation and can be seen as far back as his early interventions into New York bus shelter and phone booth advertisements when he would add his own figures in acrylic paint to the airbrushed photos of fashion models and perfume bottles. This attraction to appropriation has its roots in the street art movement that KAWS grew up with and has always been inspired by. For him nothing is off limits, his tag could appear on the side of a building, on a Clavin Klein advert or on the walls of a gallery, it’s all the same as long as people are seeing it.
With this work KAWS takes an icon of 20th century popular culture and gives it a 21st century update, adding his trademarks and making it a contemporary classic.
Discover more artworks by KAWS.
ABOUT KAWS
KAWS aka Brian Donnelly is taking the art world by storm. Humorous and satirical, his stock of cartoon-like characters with iconic branded X eyes have earned him fame and Pop status. With cuteish charm, his wry figures have moved from street art to high art and bridged art and design, creating a sensation and buzz akin to the early days of Banksy. Working with sculpture, painting, murals, drawing, product design and clothing, his approach has been likened to that of Andy Warhol and Jeff Koons. Read more about KAWS.
