Published by JRP|Editions. Edited by Arnaud Hubert, Alexander Kohnke. Text by Jeffrey Deitch. Interview by Lio Malca.
This new book by cult artist Kenny Scharf (born 1958) debuts his latest body of work, MOODZ. Comprising more than 330 circular paintings of faces—each one different—this ensemble gives form to a population of moods, feelings, expressions and colors. Scharf explains that the characters reflect aspects of his own personality: some days he needs to release his aggressive energy and they may reflect his anger; other faces reflect his exuberance and love of painting. Organized chromatically, the publication gathers the entire series of MOODZ, as well as exhibition views and documentation related to the project. It features an essay by American gallerist and cultural figure Jeffrey Deitch. A poster (28 x 21.5 inches)—on which all the faces are reproduced together as if to form a color chart—accompanies the publication.
Published by Damiani/Standard Press/Paul Kasmin Gallery. Foreword by Jeffrey Deitch.
Published on the occasion of Kenny Scharf’s (born 1958) exhibition Kolors at the Paul Kasmin Gallery in New York, this publication presents the artist’s new body of Pop-Surrealist work, which includes monochrome paintings and large-scale sculptures. An in-depth photo essay explores Scharf’s world, while Jeffrey Deitch’s text provides an insider’s view of the artist’s influence in contemporary art. Scharf’s use of airbrush-like oil and acrylic paint embodies the presence of street culture within contemporary art that he helped establish. In his sculptures, Scharf makes use of his iconic imagery, freezing expressive cartoon-like faces in curvilinear three-dimensional reflective forms. Scharf presents larger-than-life versions of three seminal characters from his pantheon of cartoon-like creatures. Two sculptures, “Squirt” and “Red Scary Guy,” embody (respectively) happiness and anger, whereas the “Totem” towers 12 feet to the ceiling, stacking characters that showcase the range and interconnectedness of human emotions.
Published by University Galleries of Illinois State University. Artwork by Kenny Scharf. Contributions by Robert Farris Thompson, Ann Magnuson. Text by Bill McBride.
This retrospective catalogue examines how both the techno-pop appeal of Kenny Scharf's work and its playful commentary have established him as an important player in late twentieth-century art.
Kenny Scharf: Kolors
Kenny Scharf