Variations on the face: downtown legend Kenny Scharf's permutational exploration of character

This new book by cult artist Kenny Scharf (born 1958) debuts his latest body of work, MOODZ. Comprising more than 330 circular paintings of faces--each one different--this ensemble gives form to a population of moods, feelings, expressions and colors. Scharf explains that the characters reflect aspects of his own personality: some days he needs to release his aggressive energy and they may reflect his anger; other faces reflect his exuberance and love of painting. Organized chromatically, the publication gathers the entire series of MOODZ, as well as exhibition views and documentation related to the project. It features an essay by American gallerist and cultural figure Jeffrey Deitch. A poster (28 x 21.5 inches)--on which all the faces are reproduced together as if to form a color chart--accompanies the publication.

The serial imagery and the iconic quality of Scharf's faces evoke the work of Andy Warhol. The conceptual structure also reflects the heritage of minimal art. His work fuses the vocabulary of Pop and Minimalism with the 1960s California TV culture of his childhood. This new book by cult American artist, Kenny Scharf (b. 1958, Los Angeles) reveals his latest body of works entitled 'MOODZ'. Comprising over 330 circular paintings of faces (each one different) this comprehensive ensemble gives form to a population of moods, feelings, expressions, and colours. Scharf explains they all reflect aspects of his own personality. This publication gathers together the entire series of 'MOODZ', with views from its 2019/20 exhibition in Los Angeles (US) and Ibiza (Spain), and documentation related to the project.