Kenny Scharf
-
Kenny Scharf'N Thingz, 2022Archival pigment ink print with silkscreened high gloss varnish and diamond dust on Innova Etching Cotton Rag 315 gsm fine art paper50.5 x 42 inchesEdition of 40Signed & numbered
-
Kenny ScharfFlores (Green), 2022Shaped aluminum with black flock mounted to a polished stainless steel base with flocked feet25 x 21 x 0 3/8 ins 63.5 x 53.34 x 0.97 cmEdition of 15Signed and dated on the Verso
-
Kenny ScharfFlores (Purple), 2022Shaped aluminum with black flock mounted to a polished stainless steel base with flocked feet25 x 21 x 0 3/8 ins 63.5 x 53.34 x 0.97 cmEdition of 15Signed and Dated on the bottom of the base
-
Kenny ScharfKelp Us, 2022Archival pigment ink print with silkscreened high gloss varnish and diamond dust on Innova Etching Cotton Rag 315 gsm fine art paper42 x 52.25 inchesEdition of 40Signed & numbered
-
Kenny ScharfSchrungle, 2022Archival pigment ink print with silkscreened high gloss varnish and diamond dust on Innova Etching Cotton Rag 315 gsm fine art paper42 x 50.5 inchesEdition of 40Signed & numbered
-
Kenny ScharfStarget, 2022Archival pigment ink print with silkscreened high gloss varnish and diamond dust on Innova Etching Cotton Rag 315 gsm fine art paper50.5 x 42 inchesEdition of 40Signed & numbered
-
Kenny ScharfStarget Sculpture, 2022cutout from shaped powder coated aluminum, printed the same on each side with UV coated archival inks, clear coated and mounted to an Aluminum base24 x 23 inEdition of 30Signed and dated on the verso
-
Kenny ScharfThings, 2022Archival pigment ink print with silkscreened high gloss varnish and diamond dust on Innova Etching Cotton Rag 315 gsm fine art paper50.5 x 42 inchesEdition of 40Signed & numbered
-
Kenny ScharfWoodz, 2022Archival pigment ink print with silkscreened high gloss varnish and diamond dust on Innova Etching Cotton Rag 315 gsm fine art paper50.5 x 42 inchesEdition of 40Signed & numbered
-
Kenny ScharfWorldz End, 2022Color silkscreen with enamel inks, flocking on Rising 4-ply museum board54 x 70 inchesEdition of 30Signed & numbered
-
Kenny ScharfWorldz End (Inverse), 2022Color silkscreen with enamel inks, flocking on Rising 4-ply museum board54 x 70 inchesEdition of 30Signed & numbered
-
Kenny ScharfSurfboard, 2021Hand paint and Airbrush
Polyester resin and polyurethane foam6.6 x 20 x 2.5 in. -
Kenny ScharfFlores (Pink), 2020Shaped aluminum with black flock mounted to a polished stainless steel base with flocked feet25 x 21 x 0 3/8 ins 63.5 x 53.34 x 0.97 cm
-
Kenny ScharfAutomatics, 2006Oil, Acrylic, silkscreen and mixed media on paper22 x 29.5 inSigned, titled and dated on the Verso
-
Kenny ScharfFelix on a Pedestal, 1998Serigraph42 x 46 ins 106.68 x 116.84 cm
-
Kenny ScharfGalaxiverse, 1998Line etching and aquatint28 1/8 x 23 6/8 ins 71.75 x 60.58 cmSigned and numbered in pencil
-
Kenny ScharfGalaxiverse, 1998Line etching and aquatint0 ins 0 cm
-
Kenny ScharfGordi, Small Nymphs, Orbiting, 1998Line etching and aquatint with hand-painting15 1/2 x 13 ins 39.37 x 33.02 cm
-
Kenny ScharfUntitled, 1992Acrylic and silkscreen ink on canvas board and recycled wood frameUnframed: 18 x 14 inches
Framed: 21 1/2 x 17 1/2 inchesSigned and dated 1992 by Kenny Scharf on the wooden "Recycle" frame
Born 1958 in Los Angeles, Kenny Scharf is an American painter, sculptor and street artist known for creating unique works that take their influence from various forms of pop culture such as cartoon characters. His work has gained much popularity since the 1980’s and continues to be recognized for its unique style, which is based largely upon the free figuration movement. Scharf approaches his work with a certain level of well-intended light heartedness, believing that art should be for everyone, he enjoys exploring ideas that are accessible to both mainstream and art loving audiences.
Education and Career
In 1980, after graduating from the School of Visual Arts in New York City, Scharf soon became active in the local art scene. Some of his first works to gain popularity were done in collaboration with artists such as Keith Haring and Jean-Michel Basquiat. Scharf has explained that, back when he was building his career, he and his artist friends had a largely differing view on what they were trying to create through their art than most of the major artists at the time. While his work was focused on trying to balance something the public could enjoy with an art style that would also be enjoyable for art lovers, Scharf noted that the current art movement in New York at the time seemed to be rather esoteric.
Even though New York is viewed as the art Mecca of America, Scharf had also commented about the influence of his California upbringing on his artwork. To a large extent, the artist wants to establish Los Angeles as a key influencer in American art by creating a local art movement focused on establishing Los Angeles as a new and unique contributor with a fresh flavor that doesn’t directly compete with New York. He shared one of the ideas he had concerning this during a 2013 interview for his Kolors exhibition at the Paul Kasmin Gallery, stating that he wants to build a drive-through art museum, which Scharf hopes to create in order to echo the feel of his home city.
Accomplishments and Exhibitions
One of Scharf’s most well known artworks is his mural in Bowery. The large work of art, which can only be described as psychedelic and playful, boasts bright colors of cartoon-like characters. But in his more than thirty years as a popular artist, Scharf has painted and sculpted various notable works that have been featured in some of the world’s most notorious galleries.
Works by the artist have featured in places such as the Paul Kasmin Gallery, Honor Fraser Gallery, the Guggenheim Museum and the Whitney Museum of American Art, to name a few. But with Scharf’s playful and enjoyable art style, it’s fitting that he had an exhibition at the Fun Gallery, New York in 1982, which helped the artist gain a lot of exposure during the early stage of his career.
Scharf’s Art Work
Some of Scharf’s first works were inspired by Hanna-Barbera, often featuring cartoon characters that were popular during the artist’s childhood. But many of his later works have developed, and many of his paintings and prints now feature blob cartoon characters that the artist came up with by himself. These illustrations are very captivating, with a strong feel of childlike play and fun often being at the center of their message.
Scharf refers to his unique genre and style of painting as Pop Surrealism, explaining that Surrealism comes from the unconscious mind and that his own unconscious mind is, in fact, filled with pop imagery. Most of the artist’s paintings are done using oil on canvas and he insists on doing all of the work himself. He believes that by creating his art without the assistance of an artistic team, a certain energy unique to himself is transferred into the work when it’s created. He also believes that the creation of art is much like a performance, and because his work is based strongly on Surrealism, his marvellous paintings, often even large murals, are all done using his free hand without any thought or planning beforehand.
Influence
Kenny Scharf’s unique approach to modern art undeniably makes him a strong influencer. His Bowery mural – which strongly resembles graffiti, but with a very unconventional twist – certainly showcases the way in which the artist has developed a new take on the practice of creating street art. Apart from his work as a sculptor, painter and muralist, Scharf has also ventured into various other ways to express his artistic voice, such as trying to bring art into everyday items. This is what led to the creation of his Cosmic Cavern, and has also led to the artist experimenting with everyday objects such as cars in order to create works of art.
According to Scharf, art should be experienced in everyday things to make life more interesting, inspire people with ideas and ignite the imagination in a psychedelic way. He believes that the beauty and fun within artwork should evoke a sense of excitement in any viewer that passes by, and that showing art to a public audience allows him to communicate his ideas, not only to audiences that already have an active interest in art, but also to those who would never visit museums to see artwork otherwise.
-
VFA at The Palm Beach Modern + Contemporary International Fair
March 21, 2023Vertu Fine Art will be at the Palm Beach Modern + Contemporary International Fair held at the Palm Beach Convention Center from March 23 through March 26, 2023. This is the sixth edition of of South Florida’s most celebrated winter art fair.Read more -
The Restoration of Luna Luna, Banksy's Stamp for Ukraine
March 8, 2023In 1987 the Luna Luna amusement park opened in Hamburg, Germany. The park was created by Austrian artist, Andre Heller. His vision was to get...Read more -
Robert Rauschenberg's Archive, New Yue Minjun, Kenny Scharf's Cosmic Cavern in London
March 2, 2023Robert Rauschenberg In 1965, before Robert Rauschenberg moved to Captiva Island, he lived in a building on Lafayette Street in Manhattan that had been an...Read more -
VFA with Tyler Hobbs at Art Miami
November 28, 2022Vertu Fine Art is one of premier galleries taking part in Art Miami 2022. Art Miami is the city's longest running contemporary and modern art fair. It is also recognized as one of the preeminent international art fairs globally. Galleries from countries in Europe, Asia, Latin America, India, the Middle East and the United States will be displaying paintings, drawings, design, sculpture, NFTs, video art, photography and fine art prints.Read more -
Through the Eyes of Julian Opie and Kenny Scharf
November 23, 2022Every piece of art lets us see through the eyes of the artist. Why the artist chooses specific subjects, colors, materials and perspectives is sometimes a mystery, even to the artist. Julian Opie, whose works are simple, straightforward and instantly recognizable, hinted, in an interview with The Telegraph, that he might like to do things differently. “I’m always trying to somehow get away from the smell of myself, and the look of what I do.” he said, “I’d love to look more like Clint Eastwood, and I’d love to have long black hair that I could flick out of my eyes, but I don’t, and I never will. And likewise, I notice that every time I undertake a project, it always ends up looking like my work.”Read more -
Keith Haring: Off the Wall; Derrick Adams, Carlos Rolón and Kenny Scharf On the Walls
September 27, 2022Keith Haring was both an artist and activist. He paved the way, in the 1980s, for street artists to gain acceptance in fine art galleries and museums. The world was Haring’s canvas. He drew and painted on subway stations, billboards and walls…walls of homes, offices, schools. Haring’s goal was to make art accessible. And that he did.Read more