Street artist Kenny Scharf’s work is a symbol of contemporary American art and also represents the current scene of popular culture. Recently, he held a solo exhibition “NEW! NOW! GOOD!” at Gallery Hyundai Gangnam in Seoul, showcasing 20 new paintings and sculptures.
Scharf describes his creative approach as “pop superrealism,” following in the footsteps of Andy Warhol to establish himself as the next generation of pop art practitioners. Most notably, he, along with Keith Haring and Jean-Michel Basquiat, were once known as the “New York East Village Three Musketeers,” being good friends while maintaining a friendly competitive relationship. Scharf’s creations include sculpture, painting, street art, and more, over the years creating an original aesthetic language with a distinctive style.
《REDDY GUY》 1986/2021, Acrylic on cast aluminum, 122 x 81.7 x 18.9 cm
《BLUMAMA》 1986/2021, Acrylic on cast aluminum, 122 x 73.2 x 29.5 cm
In this exhibition, Scharf has specially created about 20 new paintings and sculptures for the Korean audience. These sculptures are roughly carved wood with multiple colors applied on top. The six figures are made of aluminum and painted with acrylic paint, featuring cartoon expressions and poses. Scharf’s characters first appeared in the mid-1980s, humorously expressing the artist’s own daily psyche as well as the complex thoughts and emotions experienced by modern people.
The exhibition showcases Scharf’s iconic spray paintings, inspired by street culture, as he lifts colorful spray cans and spontaneously fills his canvas. The paint is applied like fireworks, gathering like clouds, with rhythmic overlapping and connecting lines, quickly applied in an automatic writing style. The canvas is clearly written with familiar Korean words such as “best” (최선), “great” (멋진), “soon” (곧), “new” (새로운), “yes” (응), and more. As the exhibition title suggests, Scharf hopes to share a positive message with the audience.
At first glance, these works may seem cheerful and playful, but his images are also filled with reflections and concepts on issues such as environmental destruction, consumerism, and the threat of war. Before enjoying this batch of works, it might be helpful to learn more about the artist’s creative ideas behind them.
“NEW! NOW! GOOD!”
Date: From now until September 24
Location: 22 Yeongdong-daero 129-gil, Samseong-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul
Image source and learn more: Gallery Hyundai Gangnam
