It looks like Kaws has some “big” things planned for Asia this October. Take a look at this huge sculpture he’s working on for the “Passing Through” exhibition at Harbour City, one of the biggest shopping venues in Hong Kong. The hand positioning is reminiscent of the collaboration he did with Yue Minjun back in 2008.
Discuss KAWS here.
When we first confirmed the imminent release of KAWS’ Pinocchio & Jiminy Cricket figures back in June, we didn’t have any details yet as to the price or date of release. If you remember, these were first seen at the fantastic retrospective the Dos Sequis drinking artist put on at the Aldrich Contemporary in Connecticut. Well, now word is these will be released at the OriginalFake store in Tokyo on August 28th for approximately $200 with other associated retailers getting their shipment a couple weeks later.
Good luck.
We’ve heard rumors of a wooden Companion figure from KAWS for a while now but haven’t seen any images… until now - from the recent Dos Sequis video! In these studio shots, the figure appears to be approximately 10 inches tall, but no word yet on general release details. We guess that KAWS fanatics, who have already been waiting for the Pinocchio & Jiminy Cricket figures to drop, will be adding this to their want list although this is sure to be limited and expensive.
More views after the jump…
You may remember when we first passed along the news that KAWS was collaborating with Dos Equis in creating a specially packaged version of their popular beer. Now, the Mexican company, whose name translates to “two x’s” has released a promotional video of the “creative process” from the street turned contemporary artist whose signature imagery also includes “two x’s”.
If you remember, AM recently brought you a first look at the KAWS museum show at The Aldrich as well as a peek at the upcoming Pinnochio and Jiminy Cricket figures. Apparently, High Snobiety also made the trek out to Connecticut and put together a nice video capturing footage of the paintings, installations, drawings, sculptural work, and art products that were part of the massive retrospective.
It looks like Lindsay Lohan might be doing some jail time soon in the near future, but she did find time to do a photoshoot with Complex that is sure to be the fantasy of some art collectors out there. The troubled celebrity poses with plenty of KAWS graphics as well as with his 4 foot companion and will be the cover of the new issue of the magazine. Take a look at the behind the scenes video after the jump as well as a full photoset here.
Dos Equis, the beer company whose claim to fame are their entertaining “most interesting man in the world” commercials, have apparently commissioned KAWS (who recently opened his museum show in Connecticut) to design a special limited edition bottle. The translation “Dos Equis” is literally “two x’s”, so it seems like a perfect match for the NY street turned contemporary artist’s iconic imagery. No full details have been released yet but these bottles look to be released only for our friends south of the border.
Discuss KAWS here.
Yesterday, we gave you a detailed look at KAWS’ first ever museum exhibition at the The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum. Simply mind boggling right? With the amount of great artwork and stunning installations, we almost missed this lone prototype vinyl figure encased on a simple pedestal. Upon closer inspection we noticed it was Pinocchio reworked in a style that only KAWS could do. Next to it was a museum info card: “Pinocchio and Jiminy Cricket, 2010 - Produced by Medicom Toy, Copyright Disney”.
The million dollar question was… when or IF it will be released? The answer is a definitive YES. We just confirmed that Medicom is currently in the process of production and this figure is slated to be released (soon hopefully) in 2010 barring any production issues. This will be released as a package with Pinocchio & Jiminy Cricket together.
Stay tuned as we keep digging for more info, but until then check out a prototype sketch and our detailed shots after the jump.
Yesterday, AM attended the exhibition opening of Brooklyn-based artist and designer Brian Donnelly, a.k.a KAWS, at the The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum in Ridgefield, CT. The first ever solo museum exhibition for the famed urban contemporary artist was nothing short of inspiring. Mixing one part retrospective and one part fresh works created a dynamic survey of a career that has influenced a range of design and popular culture. From his humble street/graffiti origins to graphic/vinyl design work to his current relevance in the world of contemporary art, eager museum patrons got to experience the distinct vision of KAWS.
Upon entry, we were greeted by a team of his 4ft companions lining the hallway of the museum. It was exciting to see a gallery filled with a retrospective of the vinyl products, illustrations, product paintings and “urban ad-interventions” that have brought KAWS along in his illustrious career. Flip the coin to the other side and we entered a duplex room filled with recently created works. Utilizing a technique unveiled at his recent showing at the ARCO Madrid fair, KAWS created his biggest mural to date. Using his razor-sharp acrylic talents and 14 canvases, a towering floor to ceiling installation was built on the two story walls of the museum.
Check out all the pics after the jump…
Here’s a quick sampling of what fans of Brooklyn-based contemporary artist, KAWS, will have in store for themselves tomorrow night during the opening of his first museum exhibition at The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum. Bringing his own brand of street inspired pop art to such an elevated stage is no doubt a crowning achievement for an artist who initially made his way bombing billboards and beautifying phonebooths and bus-stops in and around NYC. With more attention deservedly being paid to the artist as a result of such a high profile showing, this will undoubtedly prove to simply be another chapter, however significant, in the KAWS saga. From the looks of the setup at the museum, he has gone all out and the event will be more than worth the journey to Connecticut for.
With an exhibition at the Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum right around the corner (teased), we get an in-depth look into the quiet world of KAWS through an exclusive interview with Spiderman himself (Tobey Maguire) on Interview Magazine’s website. In the candid exchange, KAWS talks about his unique background, devoted collectors, and artistic influences. Check it out the entire interview here.
Pirovino Collection
Celebrated street turned contemporary artist, KAWS, will be opening his first solo museum exhibition next month at the Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum. The show will include “his most recent paintings, sculptures, and drawings, as well as a survey of apparel, product and graphic designs, and limited-edition toys.” We can’t wait to see the whole setup, but we imagine it will be similar to what our friend Pirovino has in his collection (well, at least the 4 Foot KAWS figures).
Image via Daily Dujour.
Discuss KAWS here.
Just over a year after the release of the original Brown colorway (covered), KAWS collectors in Tokyo will get their crack at the Mono Dissected Bearbrick slated for release at Original Fake this coming Saturday, March 27th. Like all Bearbrick releases, the figure comes in three sizes: a 100% and 400% sold together as a set, as well as the giant 1000% version which measures in at just over 28″ in height. No information has yet surfaced regarding a kawsone release. But considering retailers outside of Tokyo have confirmed their shipments, an official kawsone release should be imminent. (Update: kawsone.com will be releasing the mono colorway online at noon (EST) today - 3/26. If you should miss it, Toy Qube also has them available to those who call.) Pending prices stay the same as the Brown version, the set should sell for $102 with the 1000% being priced at $280. Keep your eyes peeled to kawsone or your local OF retailer in the near future for those Stateside collectors interested in adding the grayscale goodness to the collection.
Discuss KAWS here.
Ed Templeton
We had a chance to take a first look at this year’s enormous Armory Show, which officially opened in NYC yesterday. After spending most of the afternoon, we still felt like we had rushed through the contemporary half of the fair shown on Pier 94, and we didn’t even get to Pier 92, the other half which focuses on modern art.
We will definitely be going back over the next few days to make sure to give you full coverage. But until then, take a look at images of a few things from our first visit that struck our eye, after the jump.
