Kenny Scharf Art, Donuts, and Merchandise at Paul Kasmin Gallery in NYC
Even if the name isn’t ringing a bell, you probably recognize Kenny Scharf’s distinctive, cartoony style. After all, Scharf’s an SVA grad who has been showing in galleries and museums all over town–and all over the world–since the early 1980s.
Plus Scharf’s always been committed to putting his artwork before as broad an audience as possible, so he’s also active on the streets, spraying store shutters and gates downtown, planting his wild sculptures in public places, and, a few years ago, getting the nod to do the legendary Houston/Bowery Wall.
All New Kenny Scharf Art at Paul Kasmin Gallery
We’ve long been Kenny Scharf fans, and so were excited to hear that his regular Chelsea gallery, Paul Kasmin, was not only putting on a exhibition of new pieces for the month of April, but that there were special, bonus Scharf surprises in store as well. More on that in a minute, but first, the exhibition proper: called Kolors, the show features ten big paintings and three big sculptures, all new. Most of the paintings are similar in composition–big blobby drops splattered over a scored colored surface–and are riffs on a single color. There’s the blue one, the brown one, the yellow one, the green one, etc. And while only the black painting includes Scharf’s signature crazy faces, they all have plenty of personality. Plus the sculptures, especially the red snarling guy (at top), are all delightfully Scharfian.
Kenny Scharf Donuts at Doughnut Plant NYC
That’s not all there is at the Kenny Scharf Kolors exhibition at Paul Kasmin in Chelsea right now. They have really upped the art-going ante by adding Doughnut Plant donuts to the proceedings… delicious, wonderful, GLOWING doughnuts! That’s right, stick one of these beauties under a black light, and they become the tastiest day-glo accessory around. It sounds kind of random, but it actually makes sense: at one point in his career Kenny Scharf painted a lot of donuts. To honor the Kenny Scharf donut artwork, the Doughnut Plant crew, which now has a shop in the nearby Chelsea Hotel, created a line of special Scharf flavors. And they’re selling them on weekend nights under the High Line in the Plaza at the Standard Hotel, next to the new Scharf statue there, out of a customized Scharf cart, dubbed the “Carzy Roy Al”. Layers and layers of art and fun!
Kasmin Gallery’s PK Shop Sells Scharf Merchandise
We haven’t tasted one (yet!) but Doughnut Plant makes one of NYC’s Top 3 Best Doughnuts, vying with Greenpoint’s Peter Pan and Bed-Stuy’s Dough for the crown, so it’s a pretty safe bet that they’re great. Above is a picture of Scharf himself eating a Scharf donut, and he seems be enjoying it. In addition to all of that, the Paul Kasmin gallery store–called the PK Shop–as well as the Standard Shop is selling limited-edition Kenny Scharf high tops, created with designer Alejandro Ingelmo and featuring a hand-drawn Scharf character on the side. These likely cost a fortune, but there are some other cool, cheaper Scharf stuff at the stores, too. Like refrigerator magnets.
Kenny Scharf: Kolors, at Paul Kasmin details
Posted in Downtown, NYC Dining, NYC Events | Tagged Doughnut plant nyc • Kenny scharf art • Kenny scharf artist • Kenny scharf donuts • Paul kasmin gallery • PK Shop
