Martin Lawrence Galleries

About the Work

"Gatanero" is an oil and acrylic on canvas created by Kenny Scharf in 1998. The artwork is signed. titled and dated 'Kenny Scharf '98 Gatanero' on verso. The canvas size is 66.25 x 90.25" and the artwork is framed in one of the artist’s own custom carved and whimsically shaped frame. The artwork ships framed.

Kenny Scharf’s "Gatanero, 1998" stands as a monumental celebration of color, character, and chaos, an electrifying synthesis of painterly abstraction, cartoon exuberance, and postmodern cultural critique. At 66.25 x 90.25 inches and framed in one of the artist’s own custom carved and whimsically shaped frames, the painting is both an immersive visual experience and a sculptural object that fully embodies Scharf’s unique brand of optimistic surrealism.

Emerging in the 1980s alongside peers like Keith Haring and Jean-Michel Basquiat, Kenny Scharf helped define the New York East Village scene with his hybrid approach to Pop and Street Art. His work draws upon comic books, sci-fi, psychedelia, and the neon-drenched aesthetics of postwar consumer culture, all while injecting a buoyant sense of mischief and moral undercurrent.

"Gatanero" unfolds across a lush and vibrant abstract expressionist field - splatters of blue, green, yellow, and light blue that pulse with atmospheric depth and motion. Floating against this cosmic backdrop is a series of biomorphic forms in red, pink, and black - organic, alien, and pulsing with inner life. The floating forms suggest microbes or planets, hinting at the artist’s interest in interconnected, biological, cultural, and ecological systems. At the center bottom sits the work’s namesake: the 'gato negro', or “black cat,” grinning widely like a pop surrealist Cheshire cat. Its presence is charismatic and enigmatic, embodying a trickster’s energy. Just to the left, the faint head of another creature enters the frame, its shape echoing the iconic barking dog of Scharf’s close friend and collaborator Keith Haring. This subtle inclusion ties "Gatanero" not only to Scharf’s own visual universe but to the shared visual mythology of East Village art.

Framing the canvas is one of Scharf’s sculptural frames, hand-carved, undulating, and organic, an extension of the image itself and a celebration of art as object. These frames are not merely functional but integral to the work’s energy and identity. With their tactile, humorous shapes, they reinforce Scharf’s commitment to collapsing the boundaries between fine art, street culture, and everyday delight.

What makes "Gatanero" particularly compelling is its layered resonance. It speaks to a shared visual vocabulary—science fiction, cartoons, graffiti, and abstract painting—while inviting viewers into an emotional space of wonder and curiosity. Scharf’s genius lies in his ability to embrace levity while addressing heavier themes of mortality, entropy, and the sublime absurdity of modern life.

As Scharf’s work continues to be re-evaluated and embraced by new generations, "Gatanero" occupies a powerful place in his oeuvre. It is a museum-quality masterwork—bold, rare, and deeply representative of the artist’s vision during a mature phase of his practice. With its monumental scale, dynamic imagery, and autobiographical allusions, the painting offers both immediate visual pleasure and long-term conceptual engagement.

To own "Gatanero" is to own a slice of East Village history, a living testament to artistic camaraderie, a cosmic tableau of biomorphic play, and a joyful rebellion against the mundane. It is Scharf at his most expansive, mischievous, and unforgettable.