Openings: KAWS @ Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum

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…

One more incentive to visit the museum is the chance to get a copy of this gorgeous 14 page brochure/booklet (free with admission). This beautiful gift is a sort of mini-dossier on KAWS. The Aldrich donated a few to be given away over the next few weeks. To win this one, simply leave a comment below or on our facebook page with your favorite KAWS character or vinyl by Midnight PST on July 2nd and we’ll pick one winner at random.

Special thanks to Pamela Ruggio & Curator Monica Ramirez-Montagut for the generous support and special access.

Discuss Kaws here.
Discuss this show here.