“BLIMY” is the second tondo print by iconic artist Kenny Scharf which is for sale at FRANK FLUEGEL GALLERY. As the name suggests, “BLIMY” surprises and creates excitement with its witty smile and stunning eyes. The power of combining bright and acidic colors with contrasting, playful, curvy lines makes this artwork lively and spirited. Moreover, the Tondos maintain their characteristic tradition of using bright colors for a gestural and improvisational painting, proving his greatness as one of the first significant generations of graffiti artists. The artist began this tondo series in 2019 for the immersive exhibition “Universalis” in La Nave Salinas, Ibiza. Later he exhibited this series in the solo exhibition “MOODZ” by Jeffrey Deitch in his gallery in Miami Design District in the USA. With this broad universe of different faces, Scharf depicts a variety of moods in a cartoonish language – inspired by the iconic American cartoon heritage. He moves from extreme emotions and a vibrant color palette to a darker one, exploring different forms of expression and playing with contrasts.

Kenny Scharf (b. 1958, USA) is a renowned artist associated with the East Village Art movement of the 1980s in New York. Scharf developed a distinctive and uniquely personal artistic style in both painting and sculpture, alongside his mentor Andy Warhol and contemporaries such as Jean-Michel Basquiat and Keith Haring, with whom he coined the term and movement of street art at the end of the 20th century. References to popular culture recur in his works, such as appropriated cartoon characters from the Flintstones and Jetsons, as well as imagined anthropomorphic creatures. Through ecstatic compositions and a dazzling color palette, Scharf presents an immersive viewing experience that is both intimate and fresh.

Scharf’s multifaceted practice, which includes painting, sculpture, installation, murals, performance, and fashion, reflects his commitment to creating dynamic art forms that deconstruct existing artistic hierarchies and echo the philosophy of Pop artists. But Scharf’s artistic significance transcends the art historical terrain of Pop Art; the artist instead coined the term “Pop Surrealist” to describe his unique practice. His inclusion in the 1985 Whitney Biennial marked the beginning of his international phenomenon, a reputation that continues to this day.