KAWS

[jediak]

Personally I wish all releases happened this way with all popular artists. If you have the cash and are in front of a computer then great, if not then easy come easy go. I think it’s safe to say most folks are sick and tired of something being announced in advance and then having to deal with all the flippers, crashing web sites and speculation flying around the web about what’s what. Any day you don’t have to press F5 for hours with only a 50/50 chance to score something is a good day. That being said there are advantages to knowing in advance like being able to save up but for me this is the only pro in a sea of negatives.

[epicfai]

could one of the Kaws fans here explain to me what is interesting or important about this stuff? really, another sponge bob with XX on its eyes? whats the appeal beyond the hype and the fact that he is a popular artist? maybe im not sophisticated enough to understand his work, but this stuff just seems trite. can anyone sell me on this stuff? really, i'm curious to hear from his collectors; what do you see in this stuff?

[mistersmith]

Apr 19, 2011 11:57:29 GMT -8 epicfai said:

could one of the Kaws fans here explain to me what is interesting or important about this stuff? really, another sponge bob with XX on its eyes? whats the appeal beyond the hype and the fact that he is a popular artist? maybe im not sophisticated enough to understand his work, but this stuff just seems trite. can anyone sell me on this stuff? really, i'm curious to hear from his collectors; what do you see in this stuff?

I've asked this question too. Defacing ads back in the day was rad, but you can't spend money on a history or a personality, you still have to judge the work, and these re-hasings of that same toy line, the X-ed eyes on a cartoon character, there's nothing there that I can see.

The only response I can get is, he's cool because he's cool, and he makes a lot of stuff and he wouldn't make a lot of stuff if he weren't cool. That's really about the best answer I've heard.

I guess the BAPE dude and Pharrell spend a lot of money on him, so I think that made other people want to buy his stuff too. But that's all I've got.

[jediak]

In short..... No I can't tell you what makes his work appealing to those who collect it only what makes it appealing to me but why do you even need to be convinced, if you don't like his work you shouldn't have to explain yourself or justify it and the same goes for those who do. There are plenty of artists featured on this board that I am not a fan of that also command high prices or are popular and in some cases do what I see as the same thing over and over with no growth but I lose no sleep over "not getting it". This seems to be a common question and there is no answer to it because we are talking about taste here. I do think that some folks buy his work because it is easy to flip while others are influenced by the celebrity factor that has been pointed out or even the exclusivity but there are plenty of people out there, myself included, that have been following him for a long time that just like the characters, the vibrant colors, the smooth lines, the historical significance in graffiti and transition to contemporary art. I purchased my first Kaws work before there was a high $ attached to it and I just kept on going from there year after year where at some point it become something you collect and most people like to have a complete collection so they buy everything that is released. I know “why do people like his work” is a rhetorical question/statement but that’s truly what I think.

[Jesús]

I am no KAWS fan, though I have been tempted to buy one, don't get me wrong (btw, I didn't purchase one)...

I guess the best answer was already given by mr.smith, he is cool because he is cool, just like buying any other brand. why do people buy reeboks or nikes if saucony, asics, (you name it), make better running shoes (or, at least I've heard... )? why buy x, y, z cars (I know nothing about cars) instead of just a bike, a scooter, a cheap/used/barely running car, a donkey (hey, no offense to donkeys, I have been tempted to ride one of these) whatnot, because they are cool, they represent "power", "I've made it", a commodity? I don't know... it is all in the eye of the beholder.

to me, and to lots of you, the xxs (KAWS) are just a symbol. symbol of mortality, and if one buys art that represents / means something to them (in this case cartoon mortality ) then more power to them. Man, I love mortality... (jokes aside, I am fascinated by mortality).

I guess I am pretty laid back in this scenario, if it means something to you, go for it. if not, I guess constructive criticism (as in this case) is what makes art interesting (or should I say "art" interesting). no explanation needed, just live and let live (or more appropriate to KAWS "die and let die"?)

sold out. I guess a lot of people are thinking about death (or, are trying to make a buck or two reselling these babies...)

edit: jediak also pointed out a good statement.

[afroken]

Great comments. I think it's important to add though that his recent work follows in the lineage of Warhol > Koons > Murakami in terms blurring the lines between art and commercialism. You could argue that, with his extensive commercial lines in the toys and the apparel, he's taking it all a step further than his predecessors.

When he started on this trajectory I didn't much like the work, all the Simpsons and Smurfs stuff. It was all a bit too literal. But the recent gallery work that deconstructs the concept is really exceptional. It's like a visual barrage that explodes the simple forms into organised chaos. And the fact that Sponge Bob is the main protagonist provides an interesting tension between art and commercial superficiality.

I also think it's funny that grown men are buying toys. That's a unique achievement.

[saL]

Apr 19, 2011 10:49:45 GMT -8 jediak said:

Personally I wish all releases happened this way with all popular artists. I think it’s safe to say most folks are sick and tired of something being announced in advance and then having to deal with all the flippers, crashing web sites and speculation flying around the web about what’s what.

I was thinking that as well.. until I looked @ eBay, and found at least 10 of these sitting there already... which makes me think - is he playing with people by putting out really average/bad stuff, at high prices!?.. I mean, he did some great work in the past, and his recent show pieces were quite nice as well, but this looks like "lets see how far we can take this"...

as for why is Kaws great - I've been trying to figure that out myself.. I keep falling for hype, than getting out of it, than falling in again.. this print doesn't do anything for me, but if I had a chance to grab it (if it was available, and they were shipping worldwide), Im not sure if I'd let it go.. not proud of myself about that, but that's the truth..

I think Kaws was on the right place at the right time, connecting with the right people, and he managed to turn his name into a brand that sells ANYTHING.. light bulbs, house decoration, toys, prints, clothing, dog leashes, coasters, pillows, carpets, ashtrays, plastic sh*t on a stick literally, anything goes when you put XX on it..

[jediak]

This same debate is happening right now on kidrobot forums, as is the case with pretty much all his releases. There seems to be the misconception that these works are designed as prints, these were paintings originally, there is this idea that he is taking the yellow design and just making it red which I find strange because this isn’t a variant it’s a different piece all together that originally was red.

[shine166]

Apr 19, 2011 10:21:44 GMT -8 @shine166 said:

Apr 19, 2011 9:26:53 GMT -8 afroken said:

US only. why???

Think you got that wrong, that price was for US sales. I had one in my basket with $44 shipping quote but didnt purchase

sorry mate, I think it may have been me that was wrong

[epicfai]

Apr 19, 2011 12:24:37 GMT -8 jediak said:

In short..... No I can't tell you what makes his work appealing to those who collect it only what makes it appealing to me but why do you even need to be convinced, if you don't like his work you shouldn't have to explain yourself or justify it and the same goes for those who do. There are plenty of artists featured on this board that I am not a fan of that also command high prices or are popular and in some cases do what I see as the same thing over and over with no growth but I lose no sleep over "not getting it". This seems to be a common question and there is no answer to it because we are talking about taste here. I do think that some folks buy his work because it is easy to flip while others are influenced by the celebrity factor that has been pointed out or even the exclusivity but there are plenty of people out there, myself included, that have been following him for a long time that just like the characters, the vibrant colors, the smooth lines, the historical significance in graffiti and transition to contemporary art. I purchased my first Kaws work before there was a high $ attached to it and I just kept on going from there year after year where at some point it become something you collect and most people like to have a complete collection so they buy everything that is released. I know “why do people like his work” is a rhetorical question/statement but that’s truly what I think.

hey jediak, thanks for the reply. i get what you mean. my question wasnt meant to be a rhetorical question. i'm really quite curious what it is about these works that excites KAWS fans becaue I do not get it. at all. clearly thats an impossible question to answer though as every collector is different.

from my perspective, i'll admit that it makes me grin briefly when i look at it, but i suppose i'd get the same response from looking at sponge bob on TV. personally i don't think its especially interesting from an aesthetic or design POV. perhaps Xing out the eyes of cartoon characters was fresh from a conceptual viewpoint the first time around, however, i find the XX to be so over done by now that it lacks any power, relevance, or significance. it's as if KAWS has become a caricature of himself.

historically "the public" never seems to be any good at spotting significant contemporary artists so i suppose i'm just distrustful of trendy or over-hyped/over-priced artists. some artists seem to gather a momentum of their own through sheer media buzz and the allure of the popular thats divorced from any realistic merit of the work.

who was it that said you can often spot important art by the fact that everyone hates it in its time? perhaps by failing to appreciate KAWS in his own time i'm actually a member of "the public" that I referred to above. i rather doubt it, but i could be wrong.

i suspect that most of the people buying this stuff do it so that they can say they own "a KAWS", or because they hope it will increase in value, or whatever. i'm sure there are also other collectors like yourself who genuinely dig the work and that's cool. it's just not my thing.

hey look, we're actually having a discussion! where's lowpro??

[jB]

Here's a nice article done with KAWS, it doesn't necessarily dive too far into the Spongebob works, but I think you can appreciate him a bit more by seeing the timeline per se and how everything came together.

www.interviewmagazine.com/art/kaws/print/

[epicfai]

thanks, jb. i enjoyed checking out the video. his early ad poster bombs had a vitality that seems absent in his fine art stuff.

i liked the bit about why he calls himself KAWS; it seemed all too fitting.

[xpc]

Who doesn't love Spongebob?

Such a shame it was restricted to only US shipping.

[sleepboy]

Some keychains released today for those interested. I think at OriginalFake and select retailers.

[saza]

NEW KAWS BENTO !!!

all the pics on the JUMP JUMP blog :

www.jumpjump.biz/2011/04/kaws-bento.html

[lowpro]

Sounds like the Wood Companion is up next in an edition of 100 for approximately 2k.

[rhinomilk]

hm. dissected? different wood? sounds a bit pricey... i know the yen went up, but the nexus7 one was 500

[jediak]

Is this official as I have only seen speculation and hearsay on the Kidrobot forums which I often find to be wrong.

[sleepboy]

[rhinomilk]

hm. i love the wooden bearbricks.. but this doesn't really work for me. looks like furniture

[meatbag]

3,000 for an edition of 100. Been waiting for this drop that seems a bit nuts even for Kaws. I'm sure it's pure quality but I gotta pass.

[lowpro]

Far nice than I expected. Even more far expensive than I expected. Too small too.

[juggernut3]

I wonder if each one is individually numbered. Usually Kaws doesn't individually number anything but prints. Bang for buck it comes down to a 4ft companion or an 12 inch wood figure.

For the price, it would make sense to do a little more than provide a mass produced (ed. 100) non -hand carved figure. Maybe the box is very nice or signed. Wishful thinking on my part. Still can't wait to see it in person.

[meatbag]

Yea, if the packaging was unique or had some other hand finishing would be a great way to justify it. I was really hoping for something 1500 - 2000

[saL]

looks to me that Kaws is one of rare artists that is "fighting" the flippers by selling stuff @ their prices right away ($1200 prints, $3000 figures).. there is just not much left to flip...

I really like the wooden fella tough, but there is no way I'd have a chance of scoring one of 100, even if I was ready to cash out that much money (which Im not)...