Kenny Scharf

Kenny Scharf (born November 23, 1958) is an American painter known for his participation in New York City's interdisciplinary East Village art scene during the 1980s, alongside Jean-Michel Basquiat and Keith Haring. Scharf's do-it-yourself practice spanned painting, sculpture, fashion, video, performance art, and street art. Growing up in post-World War II Southern California, Scharf was fascinated by television and the futuristic promise of modern design. His works often includes pop culture icons, such as the Flintstones and the Jetsons, or caricatures of middle-class Americans in an apocalyptic science fiction setting.
Life and career
Born in Los Angeles, Scharf moved to Manhattan, earning a BFA in painting at the School of Visual Arts in 1980. In the East Village of the 1980s, Scharf began his trademark Cosmic Caverns, immersive black light and Day-Glo paint installations that also function as ongoing disco parties. The first was known as the "Cosmic Closet" and was installed in 1981 in the Times Square apartment he shared with Keith Haring. They exhibited together a six minutes video called "The Sparkle End" (1980) in the landmark 1980 Collaborative Projects exhibition The Times Square Show.
During this period, Scharf also had important shows at Fun Gallery (1981) and Tony Shafrazi (1983, 1984, 1985), before seeing his work embraced by museums, such as the Whitney, which selected him for the 1985 Whitney Biennial. Art scribe Demetria Daniels writing in Downtown Magazine said about his work that it... "leaves you with hope, joy, play and optimism, and a sense of love...."
From then his career took off and he had international exhibitions such as with Galerie Bruno Bischofberger, Zurich (1985) or Akira Ikeda Gallery, Tokyo (1986, 1988). In 1987, Scharf designed a swing carousel for André Heller's Luna Luna, an ephemeral amusement park in Hamburg with rides designed by renowned contemporary artists.
In 2015/2016 Scharf had a one-person exhibition at the Hammer Museum. And, in 2017, he mounted "BLOX and BAX", his latest one-person exhibition at Honor Fraser Gallery in Los Angeles (his fifth with the gallery). Also in 2017 his work was featured in the large group exhibition "Fast Forward: Painting From the 1980s" at the Whitney Museum. Scharf's work was included in the October 2017 exhibition "Club 57: Film, Performance, and Art in the East Village, 1978–1983" at the Museum of Modern Art in New York.
Other one-person exhibitions of Scharf's work have been presented at the Nassau County Museum of Art, Roslyn, NY (2016); Portland Art Museum, Portland, OR (2015); Pasadena Museum of California Art, Pasadena, CA (2004); Los Angeles Contemporary Exhibitions, Los Angeles (2001); Portland Institute for Contemporary Art, OR (1999); Salvador Dalí Museum, Saint Petersburg, FL (1997); University Galleries, Illinois State University, Normal, IL (1997); Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Monterrey, Mexico (1996); and Museum of Fort Lauderdale, Fort Lauderdale, FL (1995). His public artworks are on view at ArtCenter College of Design, Pasadena, CA; Cross Bronx Expressway on Third Avenue, Bronx, NY; Houston Street and Bowery, New York, NY; Norfolk Street, New York, NY; Pasadena Museum of California Art, Pasadena, CA; West Adams Boulevard and La Brea Avenue, Los Angeles, CA; West Hollywood Public Library, West Hollywood, CA; and many other locations around the world. His work is included in public collections such as the Bass Museum of Art, Miami Beach, FL; The Jewish Museum, New York, NY; Ludwig Museum, Cologne, Germany; Museo de Arte Contemporáneo, Monterrey, Mexico; Museu de Arte Moderna, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, CA; Museum of Modern Art, New York, NY; San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, San Francisco, CA; Sogetsu Museum, Tokyo, Japan; Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; and the Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, NY.
Scharf is also known for welcoming collaborations with popular culture and merchandising opportunities. He designed the cover art for the 1986 B-52's album Bouncing Off the Satellites and created the 2002 pilot for The Groovenians for Adult Swim on the Cartoon Network. He has appeared in the documentaries The Universe of Keith Haring and The Nomi Song, about his friend, opera singer Klaus Nomi, as well as 2016's Kenny Scharf's World: ART/New York No. 69 by Paul Tschinkel. In 2014, he also collaborated on an accessories line with art consultant Maria Gabriela Brito. 2020 Dior luxury fashion house presents a new collection in partnership with Kenny Scharf.
Solo exhibitions (selected)
2020
“Dystopian Painting” Almine Rech New York, NY.
“Moodz” Jeffrey Deitch Los Angeles, CA. JULY – OCT. 2020
2019
“Optimistically Melting” Honor Fraser Gallery Los Angeles
“Anxiously Optimistic” Baik Gallery Seoul Republic Of Korea
"Universalis” La Nave Salinas Ibiza, Spain
2018
“Super Pop Universe” Lotte Museum of Art Seoul Korea
“Kenny Scharf” David Klein Gallery Detroit, MI.
“Paradis Perdu” Galerie Enrico Navarra, Paris
2017
“Blox and Bax” Honor Fraser Gallery Los Angeles CA.
“Inner and Outer Space” Jeffrey Deitch New York NY.
2016
” Kenny Scharf ” Nassau County Museum of Art Roslyn Harbor, NY .
2015
“Born Again” Honor Fraser Gallery Los Angeles, CA.
“SCHOW” Frederic Snitzer Gallery Miami, FL.
2014
“Pace Face” By Pace Prints NYC
“Kenny Scharf ” Colette, Paris
2013
“Kolors” Paul Kasmin Gallery, NY. NY.
“Amerikulture” Eric Firestone Gallery, East Hampton, NY.
Kenny Scharf : “Pop Renaissance” Honor Fraser Gallery, Los Angeles, CA.
2012
“Hodgepodge” The Honor Fraser Gallery Los Angeles, CA.
2011
“Naturafutura” Paul Kasmin Gallery NY. NY.
2009
“Barberadise” Honor Fraser Gallery Los Angeles, CA.
2008
“Superdeluxa” Waddington Gallery, London, UK.
“80s Back” Seomi & Tuus, Seoul, Korea.
2007
“NEW!” Paul Kasmin Gallery New York, NY.
2005
“Superpop” Paul Kasmin Gallery New York, NY.
“Outer Limits” Patrick Painter Gallery Santa Monica, CA.
2004
“Groovenian Drawings” Kantor Gallery Los Angeles, CA.
Kenny Scharf: “California Grown” Pasadena Museum of California Art Los Angeles, CA.
2003
Kenny Scharf: “Nightlight” Patrick Painter Gallery Santa Monica, CA.
2002
“Muted” Chac Mool Gallery Los Angeles, CA.
2001
Kenny Scharf: “Portraits” Tony Schafrazi Gallery New York, NY.
“Hollywood Stars” Los Angeles Contemporary Exhibitions Los Angeles, CA.
2000
Gagosian Gallery Beverly Hills, CA.
Kenny Scharf : “Small Paintings & Bronzes” Tony Shafrazi Gallery, New York, NY.
1999
“Heads, Small Paintings and Closet # 16” Galerie Hans Mayer Berlin, Germany.
Kenny Scharf : “New Sculpture” PICA-Portland Institute for Contemporary Art Portland, OR.
“Heads and Small Paintings” Galerie Hans Mayer Düsseldorf, Germany.
1998
“Kenny Scharf” Galerie Ramis Barquet Monterrey, Mexico
“Kenny Scharf” McIntosh Gallery Atlanta, GA.
“Kenny Scharf” Kantor Gallery Los Angeles, CA.
“Kenny Scharf” Tony Shafrazi Gallery New York, NY.
1997
“Pop Surrealist” Salvador Dalí Museum St. Petersburg, FL.
“When Worlds Collide” curated by Barry
“Kenny Scharf” Tony Shafrazi Gallery New York, NY.
“Ultraelektrik” Paintings, Sculpture & Customized
1996
New Work Tony Shafrazi Gallery NY.
El Mundo de Kenny Scharf Museo de Art Contemporaneo de Monterrey, Mexico.
Kenny Scharf : Heads Center for the Fine Arts, Miami.
1995
Kenny Scharf : Early Paintings 1975-78 Yoshii Gallery NY. NY.
Kenny Scharf : Tony Shafrazi Gallery NY. NY.
1994
Kenny Scharf : Wildlife Tony Shafrazi Gallery NY. NY.
1993
Kenny Scharf : Works on Paper, Galerie Burkhard R Eikelmann, Düsseldorf.
1992
Kenny Scharf : Edward Totah Gallery
1991
Kenny Scharf : Tony Shafrazi Gallery NY.
Kenny Scharf : Akira Ikeda Gallery, Tokyo
1990
Kenny Scharf : Galerie Beaubourg, Paris.
1989
Kenny Scharf : Michael Kohn Gallery, Los Angeles.
1988
Kenny Scharf : Akira Ikeda Gallery, Tokyo.
1987
Kenny Scharf : Tony Shafrazi Gallery, NY.
1986
Kenny Scharf : Akira Ikeda Gallery, Tokyo.
1985
Kenny Scharf : Tony Shafrazi Gallery, NY.
Kenny Scharf : Galerie Bruno Bischofberger, Zurich.
Group Exhibitions:
Biennial 1984 Whitney Museum of Contemporary Art, NY.
1984
Kenny Scharf : Tony Shafrazi Gallery, NY.
Kenny Scharf : Gagosian Gallery, Los Angeles.
1983
Kenny Scharf : Tony Shafrazi Gallery, NY.
Kenny Scharf : American Graffiti Gallery, Amsterdam.
1982
Kenny Scharf : Fun Gallery, NY.
1981
Kenny Scharf : National Studio Artists P.S.1 Contemporary Art Center
Kenny Scharf : Customized Appliances Club 57, NY.
Kenny Scharf : The Jetsons Fun Gallery, NY.
Group Exhibitions: The Times Square Show Times Square, New York City
References
External links
Kenny Scharf talks to the Art Newspaper.tv at the Armory Show
1958 births
Living people
20th-century American painters
American male painters
21st-century American painters
People from Hollywood, Los Angeles
Painters from California
Artists from Los Angeles
20th-century American male artists