Urge #10 2020

Here's a story about *Urge #10* by Kaws, made in 2020. I’m really struck by the kind of tactile quality of this image, like I could reach out and touch the surface. The colors are so punchy and fun: bright orange, yellow, green, and purple grabbing your attention. The artist is using these amazing graphic shapes, but it still feels very handmade, almost like folk art, or outsider art. I get a real sense of playfulness and the freedom of mark-making. I can imagine Kaws in the studio, just letting loose, maybe with music blasting, really getting into the rhythm of the making. You know, it's so interesting how an artist can take very simple forms and use them to express so much feeling and intention. You can see a whole history of mark-making in it. From Cy Twombly to Basquiat to Phillip Guston, artists are constantly building on each other's ideas. It’s like they’re having this long conversation across time, riffing on the same themes but always finding new ways to say something fresh. It's kind of beautiful, really.