No Reply #5 2015

Kaws’ ‘No Reply #5’ is full of bold, flat colors and hard-edged shapes. You can almost see the artist’s hand moving decisively, laying down one block of color after another. I like to think about what the artist might have been thinking when they made it. Maybe they were wrestling with the push and pull of design and fine art. I imagine them standing back, squinting, and adjusting the composition until it all clicked into place. There is a sense of playfulness, a joyful exploration of color and form, and, like all paintings, it’s part of an ongoing conversation between artists, across time, inspiring each other to see the world in new ways. It’s like they are saying, "Hey, look at this! What do you think?"