Seated with eyes covered, head resting in hands, COMPANION (PASSING THROUGH), 2011, captures KAWS’ signature COMPANION figure in an isolated state of introspection. Conjuring a myriad of emotions ranging from sadness, to fatigue, to complete overwhelm, the figure’s familiar posture invites empathy from its viewers.
KAWS created his first COMPANION figure in 1999 as a small-scale figurine and, over the next two decades, this character has become a cornerstone of his celebrated oeuvre. Inspired by the enduring celebrity of the iconic cartoon character, Mickey Mouse, COMPANION is replete with white gloves, shorts with buttons, and globular cartoon-shoes. Yet in quintessential KAWS fashion, the artist has replaced Mickey’s head with his signature skull with X’ed out eyes. Of his COMPANIONS, KAWS explains, “Even though I use a comic language, my figures are not always reflecting the idealistic cartoon view that I grew up on… COMPANION is more real in dealing with contemporary human circumstances” (KAWS, quoted in KAWS: WHERE THE END STARTS, exh. cat., Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, Fort Worth, 2016, p. 5). Equally personal as it is universal, somber as it is playful, COMPANION (PASSING THROUGH) is a poignant reflection of the modern-day human condition, inviting viewers to ponder the fragility of personal circumstances and the universality of emotion.
In COMPANION (PASSING THROUGH), KAWS astutely bridges the gap between popular culture and fine art, paying homage to a rich lineage of art historical predecessors. While establishing an instantly recognizable visual lexicon that is uniquely his own, the figure’s seated, contemplative posture is reminiscent of August Rodin’s The Thinker, 1903. Like Rodin’s figure, COMPANION seems lost in thought, introspectively contemplating the very circumstances of his own being. KAWS also cites Jeff Koons and Claes Oldenburg as his artistic idols, whose playful sculptures equally oscillate between kitsch and high art. In recent years, KAWS has claimed his own position amongst the most ambitious and celebrated sculptors of the contemporary age, with works such as COMPANION (PASSING THROUGH) standing as a testament to the strength and breadth of his cultural influence.