Blud 'n Tar, 2024
Details
Year: 2024
Canvas size: 60 x 72"
Framed size: 60.75 x 72.75"
Signature: signed, titled and dated 'Blud 'n Tar Kenny Scharf '24' on verso
About the Work
"Blud 'n Tar" is a spray paint on canvas painting created by Kenny Scharf in 2024. The artwork is signed, titled and dated 'Blud 'n Tar Kenny Scharf '24' on verso. The canvas size is 60 x 72" and the artwork is framed in the artists black frame. The artwork ships framed.
“I feel that I can’t be quiet about my obsessions which have always been our environment and the danger to our fragile ecosystem. I have been making this my main focus pretty much with all of my messaging either blatant in your face or underlying and subtle, but it’s always there.” – Kenny Scharf (Interview with Dan Golden)
Scharf's work consistently embodies his distinctive, self-created visual universe, drawing inspiration from the world around him. His unique style, characterized by vivid colors and surreal imagery, often serves as a commentary on societal and environmental issues. Scharf has long been vocal about his environmental concerns, with his artwork frequently addressing the fragility of our ecosystem. This focus is evident in his messaging, whether overt or subtle, as he highlights the importance of environmental preservation.
One notable example of his dedication to the cause is his artwork "Blud ‘n Tar," which he created for “Art for a Safe and Healthy California.” The event supported the Campaign for a Safe and Healthy California, a coalition of health professionals, environmental justice groups, community and faith leaders, and youth working together to protect Californians from the health hazards associated with living near oil wells.
Scharf's involvement in this initiative demonstrates his ongoing commitment to using his art as a platform for environmental advocacy, highlighting the critical intersection between art and social justice.
"Blud ‘n Tar" is also reminiscent of Scharf’s recent monumental and monochromatic "Graynica, 2022", now in the collection of LACMA.
"Blud ‘n Ta"r features a bold color palette of blood reds and black, symbolizing the severe impact of the oil industry on human health and the environment. The visceral reds evoke the lifeblood of the earth and its inhabitants, tainted and threatened by the encroaching black tar, representing the pervasive and harmful presence of Big Oil. Scharf’s cartoon-like figures, all baring their teeth in various expressions, add an unsettling dimension, representing both the façade of happiness and the lurking threat beneath.
About the Artist
Blud 'n Tar, 2024
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