Kaws: What Party

KAWS: WHAT PARTY is a comprehensive survey of KAWS's 25-year artistic career, featuring his paintings, sculptures, street art interventions, and collectible toys. The book was published in conjunction with the Brooklyn Museum exhibition of the same name in 2021. The volume includes documentation of KAWS's early graffiti work in New York City, his transformation of advertisements, and evolution into producing large-scale sculptures and paintings. Through essays and interviews, the book examines his path from street artist to museum-exhibited creator, alongside hundreds of images spanning his entire body of work. The collaboration between authors Daniel Birnbaum, Eugenie Tsai, and KAWS himself provides context for understanding the artist's cultural impact and creative process. The book's 256 pages feature full-color reproductions and installation views from major exhibitions. KAWS: WHAT PARTY explores themes of isolation, connection, and the intersection of commerce and art in contemporary culture. The work raises questions about the boundaries between high art and consumer products, while documenting the rise of an artist who redefined these categories.

Reader reviews indicate strong satisfaction with the book's comprehensive documentation of KAWS's artistic evolution and high-quality photo reproductions. Multiple collectors noted the book captures both street art origins and museum installations. Likes: - Detailed chronological presentation - Large format shows artwork detail - Paper and print quality - Exhibition installation photos - Coverage of toys and commercial work Dislikes: - Some found $60 price high - Text sections brief compared to images - Limited behind-the-scenes content - No complete artwork index Ratings: Amazon: 4.8/5 (287 reviews) Goodreads: 4.7/5 (42 reviews) Notable reader comments: "Perfect documentation of KAWS's progression from street artist to global phenomenon" - Amazon reviewer "Would have liked more process/studio photos" - Goodreads reviewer "Best retrospective book on current contemporary art" - Barnes & Noble reviewer

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🎨 KAWS began his career as a graffiti artist in New York, altering bus shelter advertisements and phone booth displays in the 1990s, before becoming the globally recognized artist featured in this retrospective ✨ The book chronicles 25 years of KAWS's work and was published to accompany his first major museum survey at the Brooklyn Museum in 2021 🔄 KAWS's signature "X" eyes, which appear throughout his work and are heavily documented in the book, were inspired by his early observation that cartoon characters looked the same whether dead or alive 💫 The publication includes more than 150 works featuring KAWS's iconic characters, including his reimagined versions of Mickey Mouse, Snoopy, and the Michelin Man 🌍 Though the book's title "WHAT PARTY" might seem playful, it reflects KAWS's critical commentary on consumer culture and the intersection of art, commerce, and popular media in contemporary society