A bold red sculpture stands in the “KAWS: Family” exhibition at Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art. The exhibit, opening to the public on March 15, showcases the artist’s evolution from graffiti and street art to large-scale installations, paintings, and brand collaborations. (Flyer photo/Kevin Kinder)Somehow, subconsciously, the artist known as KAWS has always been building “Family.”
His first recurring statue figure, Companion, moved through the world by himself at first. KAWS then imagined how Companion might interact with another figure. Next came two smaller, childlike figures, long before the artist had two children of his own. He may have been manifesting them, KAWS said during a Thursday morning group tour that served as a preview for his new exhibit in Bentonville.
“I thought [the original sculpture he called ‘Companion’] was a one-off thing. But it continues to occupy space in my mind. The sculptures started having conversations after that. ‘Family’ is a continuation of that,” the artist said.
The appropriately named exhibit “KAWS: Family” officially opens to the public on Saturday (March 15) at Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art after a members’ preview today (3/14) and a lecture featuring KAWS and Crystal Bridges curator of contemporary art Alejo Benedetti on Friday evening.
Artist KAWS (left) and Crystal Bridges curator of contemporary art Alejo Benedetti discuss the “KAWS: Family” exhibitionat a media preview inside the museum in Bentonville. (Photo: Kevin Kinder)
“KAWS: Family” is a large-scale look at the works of KAWS. It contains humanoid statues, abstract paintings, drawings on paper, bronze sculptures and a couch made of stuffed toy animals. It spans the career of the artist who was born in 1974 in New Jersey as Brian Donnelly but prefers to be called by his artistic moniker. The name comes from the tag he used as a graffiti artist in New York City. He liked the look of the letters, but it had no grander meaning. Nevertheless, it stuck.
Moving beyond traditional street art locations, KAWS started painting over existing advertisements at bus stops and phone booths, removing the ads and then replacing them with a reimagined version. He hoped the works would stay up for a week. Because they were so temporary, he said he’s had a hard time reclaiming some of the work but pieces like “Untitled (Calvin Klein)” are included in the new exhibit. KAWS’ signature iconography began to develop via those advertisements. Decades later, many of the stylistic choices he made as a young artist continue in the form of works that examine the intersection of advertising, design and fine art. KAWS’ work often includes cartoonish subversions of pop culture figures with oversized features and X-ed out eyes. It has led him to a prominent place in the art world: famed auction house Christie’s notes his toys have sold for as little as $50 while his re-imagining of the cover art for The Beatles’ “Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band” was sold for $14.8 million. His design work commissions have also connected him to notable collaborators like rappers Kid Cudi and J-Hope.
KAWS FAMILY, 2021 Bronze, paint 86.25 in. x 81.5 in. x 37.625 in. © KAWS(Courtesy, Crystal Bridges)The collection now at Crystal Bridges includes many of those design works, including the album cover for J-Hope’s “Jack in the Box.” He’s also worked with Nike, MTV, General Mills and dozens of other companies.
“It was important to include the brand collaborations because it’s so much of my practice, and I appreciate all of those outlets,” KAWS said.
Many of the works in the exhibit are large-scale installations – hundreds of individually framed cereal boxes, a wall of 50 partial portraits of Snoopy in a piece called “Man’s Best Friend” and abstracted, silhouette versions of characters like Winnie the Pooh, who is prominently featured in the work “Far, Far Down.”
The arrival of “KAWS: Family” in Bentonville marks the second stop for the collection. It first appeared in Toronto, Canada, at the Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO). It was curated by Julian Cox, Deputy Director and Chief Curator at AGO. Alejo Benedetti and KAWS collaborated on the transition to Bentonville, where the show occupies nearly 11,000 square feet of gallery space – about 4,000 more than it did in Toronto.
KAWS BLUE BOX, 2023 Acrylic on canvas 88 in. x 60 in. x 1.5 in. © KAWS(Courtesy, Crystal Bridges)KAWS said he admires Crystal Bridges and is excited to get the work in front of people.
The exhibit runs through July 28. Tickets to the “KAWS: Family” exhibition are $15, and free for Crystal Bridges members, SNAP participants, veterans and adults and youth 25 and under. Tickets for the exhibition’s opening lecture are $25 ($20 for members). To purchase a ticket, visit the museum’s website.
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