Where The End Starts

Mason Schara
Dec 30, 2016
2 min read

With a exhibition title that seems to really fit the end of 2016, I was blown away by the incredible works from Brooklyn based artist KAWS, curated in conjunction with Andrea Karnes, curator of the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth. With a strong focus in pop culture, something I obviously love, and mainly cartoon characters, the collection, spanning the last 20 years of his work, is made up of sculptures, paintings, toys, and much more!

With sculptures of his own personal characters, Companion (based on Mickey Mouse) and Chum (Michelin Man based) being my personal favorites, KAWS takes these American classic characters and adds a layer of darkness, wit and irreverence that is unlike anything the art world has seen.

These sculptures are not solely a satirical play on society, but these characters are used to convey feelings and emotions, whether they be sadness, shame or simply being overwhelmed. This human attributes really help the every day museum patron to relate to these unique pieces. Myself, someone who has faced/faces depression, I am able to really share these feelings and appreciate the portrayal of these emotions and feelings on characters that usually depict happiness alone.

In addition to loving the larger than life sculptures KAWS has produced, I also loved the paintings and even more so loved the mixed media play of designer label adverts with his characters overlayed. These connected close to home with me, as I work in the fashion industry with or close to some of the labels portrayed above. I also really appreciated the feeling of inspiration from some of the pieces, pieces that felt like more modern takes on artists such as Mondrian.

Please look through the below gallery, which I hope inspires you to check out the fabulous works from KAWS before the end of its stay on January 22nd.