The News #5 2017

KAWS' 'The News #5' is a painting made up of layered marks and bold colours which create a distinctive graphic feel. I can almost see him at work, figuring out how to balance representation with abstraction. It's a tricky game! The paint looks smooth, and the neon orange drips, scattered across the canvas, are electric. I'm curious about what kind of thought process or emotion led him to make those marks. KAWS is playing with recognisable forms, obscuring them with abstract gestures. The 'X'd out eyes for example! It's as if he’s building a new language, a hybrid of pop and something more personal. I'm reminded of other artists who blurred the lines, like Elizabeth Murray, only with a 21st-century twist. And isn’t that the best thing about art? We get to participate in this ongoing conversation, riffing off each other’s ideas across time. It's not about having all the answers, but revelling in the questions.