The first time I saw the KAWS x Warhol exhibit, I did a brief walk through with my layman companion, but the second time I was able to see it, I had a guided tour as part of the Warhol’s Teacher Open House. The KAWS x Warhol exhibit is a masterclass in how to achieve great things in the art world via commercial avenues. Warhol started out as an illustrator in advertising, while KAWS started out as an animator and graffiti artist. As a graffiti artist, KAWS would subvertise ads at bus stops. This means that he would activate the ad in his own style, frequently with cartoon heads featuring skulls and crossbones. Andy Warhol’s entry to the art world began with his Campbell Soup cans, and continued with screenprints of popular products, like Chanel perfumes.
Common themes in KAWS and Warhol’s work are the juxtaposition of characters, famous faces, and ideas, creating artwork that defies expectations and creates an emotional response in the viewer. Anxiety, despair, pleasure, and pain are all emotions at the heart of each artist’s work. Both artists adeptly play with our perceptions of pop culture and of art materials as a whole. Some of KAWS’ work consists of bronze sculptures, but are painted to make them look powder soft and plastic.
Nostalgia is also a key theme in each artist’s work. The characters and legends that we’ve grown up with, are treated affectionately and irreverently. From cereal boxes and advertisements to Sesame Street and the Simpsons, each new subject receives a creative treatment that plays with our perceptions of those characters and images. The Simpsons canvases are packaged like toys, back of the packages included, which can be seen in a row of mirrors behind the canvases. The whole show, while there are some dark undertones, is just fun – evidence of what a creative mind can do in a playground of images that surround us everyday, from the TV we watch to the groceries we buy to the ads we see walking around our city.
To conclude our tour, our tour guide asked us a question as food for thought: With so much anxiety, despair, and pain, is there salvation at the end for us? I wouldn’t go as far as to say salvation, but I would say that play, fun, creativity, and making things are great antidotes. If we returned to the things that brought us pleasure as children, like KAWS and Warhol do, that can provide some relief from the ugliness of the world.
The KAWS x Warhol Exhibit at the Andy Warhol Museum is a must-see show that runs until January 20th, 2025, so there’s still time! Be sure to start on the second floor, then head to the rest of the exhibit on the 4th floor. The museum is closed on Tuesdays, but open until 5pm all other days except for Friday, when it is open until 10pm. I hope you enjoy the show!