Ups And Downs #3 2013

I imagine Kaws made 'Ups And Downs #3' with smooth strokes of vibrant acrylic, maybe in a studio filled with pop culture collectibles. It looks like the painting came into being in bold, flat colours which gives off a playful yet melancholic vibe. I can almost feel Kaws wrestling with the composition, trying to balance the sweetness of the cartoon-like figures with the iconic crossed-out eyes. Painting is, after all, an ongoing conversation. This piece definitely speaks to the legacy of pop art with it's clean lines and bold colours, but there's also something deeply personal about it, like a diary entry. The material qualities of the painting - the crisp edges and smooth surface - they invite you in, while the crossed-out eyes hint at something lost or hidden. Kaws' work reminds us that painting is a form of embodied expression, embracing ambiguity. We might not know exactly what it means, but we can feel it.