Gauntlet Gallery — Complete KAWS Index
Christy Turlington Ad Disruption (First Edition)
Work Summary & Collector Notes
Christy Turlington Ad Disruption (First Edition) is a quintessential example of KAWS's foundational practice of altering advertising imagery. Taking a glossy fashion advertisement featuring supermodel Christy Turlington, KAWS overlays the polished commercial photograph with his cartoon vocabulary — bulbous characters, crossbones, and the trademark X-ed-out eyes — defacing and reframing an instrument of consumer desire. This is the gesture that built KAWS's reputation: the same impulse behind his celebrated subway and bus-shelter poster takeovers of the late 1990s, here preserved as an editioned 'ad disruption.' As a first edition tied to a named, recognizable campaign, it stands as one of the most direct and historically resonant statements of his confrontation with fashion advertising and celebrity culture.
Collector notes: Edition label was not stated, and total quantity was not documented in the saved record. Edition-specific signature, numbering, and stamp details were not stated in the saved release record. Verify signing and numbering against a documented example of this edition.
Why It Matters
This work sits at the conceptual core of KAWS's career. Before the Companion became a worldwide brand, KAWS made his name by physically intervening in advertising — removing posters from phone booths and bus shelters, painting his characters over the imagery, and returning them to public view, then later issuing such 'ad disruptions' as editioned works. A piece built on a specific, famous Christy Turlington fashion advertisement is among the clearest surviving statements of that practice, naming the celebrity and campaign it subverts. It demonstrates KAWS's critique of consumerism, beauty, and branding with unusual directness, linking him to a broader appropriation lineage while preserving the raw, illicit energy of his origins. As a 'first edition' it carries additional historical and collector weight, marking an early and definitive instance of the gesture. For serious collectors, this is not decorative merchandise but a document of the artist's intellectual foundation — the appropriation strategy from which every Companion, Chum, and monumental sculpture ultimately descends — and its higher market positioning reflects that significance.
Collector Perspective
Christy Turlington Ad Disruption (First Edition) is a connoisseur's KAWS — sought by collectors who value his conceptual origins and ad-takeover roots above his later character merchandise. The named supermodel and recognizable campaign give the work a specificity and provenance narrative that pure character prints lack, and 'first edition' status heightens its desirability among those chasing landmark early works. It commands a premium position relative to standard KAWS prints and serves as a centerpiece or anchor in a sophisticated collection, signaling deep knowledge of the artist. Its editorial, fashion-rooted subject makes it striking on the wall and a clear conversation piece, distinct from the ubiquitous Companion imagery.
Historical Context
This work belongs to the foundational chapter of KAWS's arc, when his practice was defined by appropriating and defacing advertising — the direct descendant of his late-1990s subway and bus-shelter interventions. Christy Turlington, an emblem of 1990s supermodel culture, represents exactly the kind of high-gloss commercial imagery KAWS targeted to critique consumerism and celebrity. As a first edition, the piece captures an early, definitive moment before Companion and Chum were spun into standalone commercial properties. It marks the pivot on KAWS's trajectory from graffiti and illicit ad-takeover artist toward studio editions, designer toys, fine art, and ultimately the monumental, blue-chip stature he holds today, preserving the appropriation-driven impulse at the very source of his ascent.
Documented Release Details
- Object type
- Editioned print or object
- Release date
- 1997
- Release-date note
- Catalog-listed release year from the saved secondary record; primary release-page confirmation remains pending.
- Series
- Medium and materials
- Medium and materials were not documented in the saved record.
- Edition details
- Edition label was not stated, and total quantity was not documented in the saved record.
- Signature and marks
- Edition-specific signature, numbering, and stamp details were not stated in the saved release record. Verify signing and numbering against a documented example of this edition.
Documented History and Meaning
History note: This page treats KAWS's broader career as background context, not proof that this specific edition belongs to any single exhibition or event. Release-level facts here come from a saved secondary catalog record.
Meaning / interpretation: No per-work artist statement is recorded for this edition. Any thematic reading should be treated as interpretation of the imagery, not a documented statement of the artist's intent. This interpretive note follows the cited artist or publisher context.
Release context: The saved catalog lists 1997. It is grouped under Print in the saved record.
Authentication, Presentation and Provenance
- Original presentation
- Original packaging or presentation was not documented in the release sources reviewed.
- Authentication note
- Compare the support, dimensions, edition number, and signature against a documented example of this edition. Gauntlet Gallery does not authenticate works purchased from third parties.
- Provenance note
- Edition origin is attributed in the saved record to the release source named in the saved record. That does not establish the ownership history of an individual copy: retain the original invoice, reseller or gallery paperwork, labels, correspondence, and condition photographs.
Sources and Verification
Verification status: Secondary catalog snapshot; artist-level context added
- KAWSONE — official site — KAWS studio · primary artist source · Accessed 2026-07-13 · Official artist site; career context, not an individual-edition record.
- KAWS — Wikipedia · reference encyclopedia · Accessed 2026-07-13 · General artist-level biographical and career reference.
- KAWS (Q3194367) — Wikidata · reference knowledge base · Accessed 2026-07-13 · Structured identifier used for the artist across catalog metadata.
FAQ
What is an 'ad disruption'?
It is KAWS's signature practice of taking an existing advertisement and overlaying it with his own characters and defacements, subverting the commercial imagery. This work uses a Christy Turlington fashion ad.
Why is Christy Turlington significant here?
As a 1990s supermodel, she embodies the high-gloss fashion and beauty advertising KAWS targeted to critique consumerism and celebrity culture.
What does 'First Edition' mean for collectors?
It denotes an early, definitive instance of the work, which typically carries added historical and collector weight.
How does this fit KAWS's career?
It sits at the conceptual root of his practice — the appropriation-of-advertising gesture, descended from his subway poster takeovers, from which his later characters emerged.
Is the edition size confirmed?
We describe it generally as a limited first edition and avoid stating a specific size, date, or price without verified documentation.
Related KAWS Works
