We took the short 40 mile trip from our front door today to see the spoils of the latest exhibition by Jersey City original, Kaws (Brian Donnelly) at The Modern. One of those few commercial-cum-fine artists who has taken the museum world by storm in the past decade, in large part due to the saavy curators of the Ft. Worth institution that is a prime showcase for his bold and colorful work. Back on September 1st we released this preview. But it's now time to recollect some of what we saw today.
HE LEFT HIS XXs IN TEXAS
The show only opened ten days ago, so it feels really fresh. Though I had to do a double-take upon entering as the humongous outdoor 'sitting' companion piece (a work subtitled Passing Through) of his that used to be in that same spot is now occupied by a similar monotone piece carrying two "babies". It made me smile before even walking through the doors. And this thing is bronze, can you imagine the weight of this monolith? Not to mention that it is juxtaposing a challenging (Richard) Serra corten steel work just yards away. There's a unique conversation going on already....
It's almost as if the title of the show, in and of itself, is a bit of a James Carroll-ism. Are we going through time or exiting through the end of the show. Oddly it may be a bit of the latter since his earliest works are in the back as you physically make your way from room to room. And it feels right to be arranged this way, gives you a deeper appreciation for how the artist developed from newer larger scale pieces back to his average poster-sized works, et al. Though there was an immense amount of work to look at, not to mention the gift shop - but we'll get to that.
New Morning (2012)
Around the first bend was an 'in-the-round' installation of circular red dot works with a sizable voided Gumby surrounded by an elongated signature companion. The work in bronze was stunning, and the install, immaculate. Being so graphic and character based immediately invites all ages into the space to draw the viewer, young and old further into the accompanying galleries. New Morning was a favorite (above).
The shaped works by Kaws were also of interest and romanced previous viewers of the same museum space as their just previous major retrospective was Frank Stella. There were pleasant, easy references throughout. You can connect the curatorial dots if you pay attention, even casually. That said, the two artists differ greatly in their employment of specific materials, the threads are there, and the balance is between what we already know as canon, and the future. And while Stella is famous for his undulating shapes, powerful colors and ginormous pieces that protrude with glorious abstraction -- Kaws seems to be a bit more reigned in, and his abstractions are, in a way, playing with the viewer.
In most of the work on display I find the key is a synergy between color palette that has no boundaries, no rules, and a love for anonymizing popular cartoons with a cheshire smile all the way through. The one room where things shift is dead in the center where we face the most "natural" and largest scale pieces...Boom!:
HE GOT WOOD!: This room literally floored me, it was all wood grain, all the time. To see these works on paper, or lit up via even the most impressive computer monitor will do zero justice to be in the room beside these impressive sculptural masterworks. People are literally morphed by the emotive, forlorn gestures of these amazing creatures. Small Lie (2013) was my fave, hunched over in a state of disappointment or sadness. Beyond expectations.
Here are a smattering bunch of details ending with the title work, Where The End Starts. They clearly show the artist's journey through the mishegas of space as he uses layered shading as a way for the viewer to look at his flat finished works with an accurate sense of depth even within unusual abstract space. Graphic at times, simple here and there and quite complex in other works. In every piece he hints at characters that are hidden, falling or part of a larger cosmos of sorts.
BREAK THE MYTH: I managed to get a few shots of people alongside the works to provide an idea of scale overall, and of the way the artists dissects, flattens, morphs and otherwise takes a post-pop methodology and layers it with a bit of "haha dada". That may be the fine line he plays between high and low art, and that is the rub, the pitch, dynamic to see and question. The narratives run quite fluid throughout the galleries, but one theme repeats, familiar pop culture, deconstructed. One might try and identify if what they are looking at is Snoopy or Spongebob, the Simpsons or Garfield, Mickey Mouse or the Smurfs but wind up with some other amalgamation of all parts becoming a hole in one, or reverse that.
The Kimpsons works (2000-02) had their very own dedicated space, and his employment of acrylic paint here was particularly impeccable. The Package Painting Series was a particular highlight. Based on the enormously popular The Simpsons cartoon series by Matt Groening, he treats this series differently than a normal wall-hung painting by packaging them in 'Kenner-style' blister packaging. It's a true slip between fine art and the designer toy world. I found these to be an important meta statement about where contemporary art is right now.
While the artist indulges in a color palette that would likely make Kandinsky blow a fuse, there are a smattering of monochrome pieces placed strategically throughout that give you a finer perspective of the artist's clean curves and while anonymous, quite expressive charaters, almost like mimes. This sculptural work, which was about 8' tall was a nice standout in a room otherwise filled with a wall of original pen and pencil sketches.
In the end we get to see some of his earliest works (circa 1995-1999). I found these pieces quite engaging, slightly recalling other like artists of around and about the era like Christian Marclay in particular. He collaborated with other artists and repurposed printed advertisements like so:
I found the latter image of Keith Haring amusing, as his snake-like character with XXs for eyes gently wraps around the famous pop graffiti artist and watches him work his magic in the NYC subway, another cultural nod to those who came before him. The museum also has many adjoining hallways with sculptural works intermittently placed for a nice dramatic effect, especially the very last piece, a solo figure in black, like a humongous punctuation at the very end, from the artist's own collection.
We didn't literally exit through the gift shop since The Modern isn't really set up that way - though we chose to have a look at what that had on offer. One thing to mention is they will be producing a major catalogue, but it will not be available until November 22. Understandable as they shot many of the images after installation earlier this month, so it takes time for good things. As far as some promised figures (from Medicom), they literally sold out in the very first few days - but they do have some figures to tease you in the shop window.....
APPROPRIATE THIS: Seeing some of these designer toys for the first time puts into perspective the possibilities for any artist in the scene, with the imagination (and business savvy) of Kaws. Of course a bit of a push from his representative gallery house, Honor Fraser, definitely helps bring these ideas to a more grandiose light as well. It is odd that The Modern Shop didn't squandor a modest supply of the figures to be available to their patrons for in-store purchase alone, especially given that they were proposed to be an open edition.
Where the End Starts is a fascinating exhibition that drives a new dialogue in the art world, one long past conceptualism and post-modernism. We have entered a realm where we question the status quo, corporate power, and cultural markers. A time that is not yet defined by the A-list art world pundits, a shakey-quakey time in contemporary politics, and the galvanization of one artist's will to produce work that will play on what is real and what is an 'original fake' ;)
*** Don't Miss It, on view through January 22, 2017: The Modern
PS: Medicom Plus is making the Open Edition of Kaws figures available, but only to their Japanese base. More.