Ups And Downs #7 2013

Kaws painted ‘Ups And Downs #7’ with a super vibrant and bold colour palette of pink, green, and orange against a cool blue background. I can imagine Kaws in the studio, stepping back and forth, making decisions about hard-edged forms. It's not easy! It's a struggle. The painting’s got this assertive quality with these X-ed out eyes, which might be saying something about contemporary life or even consumer culture. The hand holding the rectangle is interesting. What's that about? Is it a photograph? Is it a symbol of art itself? You know, looking at Kaws' work, it makes me think about other artists who play with Pop Art, cartoon imagery, and abstraction. I’m reminded of artists like Yoshitomo Nara and maybe even some echoes of Keith Haring. Artists are always responding to one another across generations. Each one leaves their unique mark, you know? Painting is about expression, but it’s also about ambiguity and embracing multiple points of view.