Urge #6 2020

Kaws made "Urge #6" in 2020, and right away you can see how he's playing with color and mark-making. There's this great tension between the flat, graphic shapes and the scribbled, almost anxious lines. It's like the image is trying to hold still, but the hand of the artist keeps fidgeting. Look at the maroon shape behind the hands; notice how it’s not just one flat tone, but a field of tiny marks, all vibrating together? And the way the colors butt up against each other, no blending, just pure contrast. It's kind of confrontational, right? Like he’s daring you to reconcile these clashing elements. Then there are the hands, each with that signature X, a kind of stand-in for eyes, but also a cancellation, a negation. It reminds me a little bit of Elizabeth Murray, with her quirky forms and skewed perspectives, but Kaws brings this pop sensibility that’s all his own. For me, it's a great example of how art doesn't need to be polite. It can be awkward, messy, and still say something important.