KAWS and Andy Warhol are separated by generations, but a new exhibition draws parallels to the impact each artist had on the world of fine art and pop culture. On view at The Andy Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh, the show surveys what the institution calls “dark themes” that run concurrent throughout each artist’s respective practices, from skulls to car crashes, as well as a series of new paintings, sculptures and installations KAWS created in response to Warhol’s embrace of commercialization.
For those unable to attend, Phaidon will publish a book that chronicles the experience, featuring a foreword by Patrick Moore, an interview by Laurie Simmons and essays by Thomas Crow and Marianne Dobner. From poppy silkscreen portraits, cross-bone Mickey Mouse-inspired characters to subverting common iconography found in advertisements, the work of KAWS and Warhol may appear playful and unassuming on first glance, but reveal brooding undertones that probe into nostalgia, tragedy and death.
When asked about the comparisons between Warhol and his work, KAWS said in a past interview, “the more you learn about artists and history, the more you realize there are so many artists who delved into commercial opportunities and things that stimulated them creatively – Andy Warhol being a very large part of that. But you know there’s a lot more, it wasn’t just Warhol and Haring… Everyone kind of has their moments, whether they’re widely acknowledged or not.”
KAWS + Warhol is on view at The Andy Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh until January 20, 2025. The accompanying hardback book spans 192 pages and is available to preorder online for $69.95 USD.
The Andy Warhol Museum
117 Sandusky St,
Pittsburgh, PA 15212
