Ups And Downs 4

Ups And Downs 4 is a signed screen print in colours on Saunders Waterford High White paper made by the renowned American artist and designer, KAWS. The print depicts a close-up section of a cartoon character’s face. The close-up makes it difficult to identify what part of the cartoon is being seen, however the viewer can make out a large turquoise eye, a wiggling, yellow tongue and a set of blue and green teeth. Across the eye, KAWS adds his signature cross, a trademark feature of the artist’s visual language. The blue of the cross contrasts with the bright red pupil and these bright and vibrant colours inject the print with a sense of dynamic energy.

This print is one of ten silkscreen prints that compose the Ups and Downs collection. Each print in this series depicts an arrangement of graphic shapes in bold colours. Many of the compositions, like Ups And Downs 4, include facial features, however some are more abstract, such as Ups And Downs 6. The collection was produced in 2013 in order to celebrate KAWS’ exhibition, Ups And Downs, at the Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art in Kansas.

By 2013, KAWS had become an internationally acclaimed artist. His artworks were being sold for six figure sums and he had five museum shows under his belt.