KENNY SCHARF

(b. 1958)

DNA (DO NOT ASK), 1994

Footnotes

Provenance
Cotthem Gallery, Barcelona
Private Collection, Belgium (acquired from the above in 2003)
Acquired from the above by the present owner


Kenny Scharf has been one of the most prolific and prominent American artists of the last forty years. His psychedelic, post-Pop style has captivated global audiences since his debut in the New York scene of the 1980s. Launched into the limelight alongside his friends and colleagues Jean-Michel Basquiat and Keith Haring as the figurehead of a new, rebellious generation of American painters, Scharf assimilated street art, Neo-Expressionism, and Pop Art into a heady, bombastic style that captured the punkish energy of the Lower East Side during its most famed years.

Presented here are two exceptional works on canvas by Scharf, DNA (DO NOT ASK) and SEXOMETRY, from 1994 and 1992, respectively, in addition to an eccentric and unique piece, painted on a vehicle hub cap, that revives the personified ceramics of Picasso and Cocteau. Full of all the symbolism, imagery, and flair that the artist is so revered for, the taste for Scharf's eclectic style has reached fever pitch in recent months, as Scharf has collaborated with French fashion house Dior this summer season to launch a limited range of artist-designed garments. His place as one of the most significant and highly sought-after artists is assured; his cultural footprint as an icon and tastemaker is cementing itself as his influence grows.

In the early 1980s, Scharf's rise to fame was explosive and well-documented. Befriending Keith Haring at the School of Visual Arts in New York, the two were committed collaborators, most notable for their parties, exhibitions, and events held at Club 57. In 1985, however, Scharf's inclusion in the Whitney Biennial with the first iteration of his Cosmic Cavern, immediately placed him at the forefront of painterly practice, subsequently being represented by Tony Shafrazi – one of the most important New York gallerists of the decade.

In the present works, the plethora of imagery and fusion of techniques demonstrates Scharf's immense talent as an artist who has traversed the dialogues of contemporary practice, producing work that is consistently cutting edge and timely. In DNA (DO NOT ASK), the swirling double-helix sits atop screenprinted mechanical parts and Star Trek's 'Enterprise' – a subtle tie-in to Scharf's Cosmic Caverns. SEXOMETRY, presents a larger and still more intricate network of imagery. In its original frame – rarely seen and highly collectible – it is a superlative canvas of elegant proportions that speaks to the ecstatic, grandiose visual language of his career.