KAWS + Warhol

A never-before-seen look at the striking thematic parallels between KAWS and Andy Warhol, two of the most iconic artists of our time

As celebrated artists that draw from popular culture, KAWS and Andy Warhol are known for creating art that is approachable beyond the confines of the traditional art world. While at first glance, both artists’ works often appear celebratory and joyful, they share a number of dark common threads beneath the surface: tragedy as spectacle and meditations on death and dying. When these two bold bodies of work are juxtaposed, that connection is made explicit and powerful.

This book highlights the artistic intersection of KAWS and Warhol, featuring their takes on death and disaster, advertising, nostalgia, abstraction, skulls, and self-portraiture. Accompanying a major exhibition at The Andy Warhol Museum that will travel internationally, it presents some of the most standout and analogous works from two of the most popular artists of all time.

About the Authors:

Patrick Moore is the director of The Andy Warhol Museum and curator of the KAWS + Warhol exhibition.

Laurie Simmons is an artist, photographer, and filmmaker based in New York City.

Thomas Crow is an art historian, critic, and the Rosalie Solow Professor of Modern Art at the Institute of Fine Arts, NYU.

Marianne Dobner is a curator, art historian, and writer based in Vienna, Austria.