Clean Slate Bronze Edition
Or pay 3 times Clean Slate is one of the most narrative works in this series of KAWS bronze sculptures. I immediately see a scene of a family full of tenderness and humor: The Companion is carrying his two children, as if he were coming to pick them up to prevent them from continuing to play. Their posture evokes the entire innocence of childhood, while the very close way in which he carries them creates a real sense of complicity.
Technical information
Year: 2022
Technique: bronze sculpture
Dimensions: 7 × 8 × 15 cm
Edition: numbered artist’s proof of 50
Signature: in bronze
Condition: excellent condition
Certificate: Certificate of authenticity signed by KAWS
Box: original wooden box
Provenance: Private collection
Clean Slate is part of a series of twelve bronze sculptures created by KAWS in collaboration with AllRightsReserved. Each model takes a representative composition from the artist and develops a different emotion, in a much more intimate format than his monumental sculptures or his famous vinyl editions.
This piece immediately stands out for its composition of three characters. The adult Companion walks holding two smaller Companions under his arms. The ensemble creates a true scene of movement, almost as if it were a moment of family life frozen in bronze.
I particularly like the mixture of protection, closeness, and humor that emerges from the work. I imagine a parent coming to pick up their children after leaving them to play, then taking them off on their own because they obviously don’t want to stop. The little characters seem still completely absorbed in their play, in that carefree quality typical of childhood.
The way the Companion characters carry them also reinforces the sense of familial connection. The three characters are physically very close, almost united in one volume. The scene seems spontaneous and affectionate, without being too solemn: it talks about family, but also about those simple and familiar gestures that are immediately recognizable.
The bronze particularly emphasizes the various volumes of the composition. The three figures correspond to each other and give the sculpture a very strong presence despite its reduced dimensions. It is a pleasure to observe it from several angles to discover the position of each character and the overall balance of the whole.
I was lucky enough to acquire from a collector the twelve artist’s proofs that make up this series. Seeing them all together is a real pleasure, as each sculpture has its own posture, emotion and story. Clean Slate stands out for its familial dimension, its movement and the complicity that unites the three characters.
The example offered by Galerie Montorgueil the artist is a numbered edition of 50. It is sold with its original wooden box and its certificate signed by KAWS.
