Gauntlet Gallery — Complete KAWS Index
Time Off (Blue)
Work Summary & Collector Notes
Time Off (Blue) presents KAWS's reclining COMPANION figure in a restful, prone pose, rendered in a calm blue palette. The image is among KAWS's most contemplative Companion compositions, showing the X-eyed character lying down as if at rest, asleep, or in a state of quiet withdrawal. Issued as a limited screenprint, the work uses flat, graphic color fields and KAWS's signature clean outlines to translate a sculptural, melancholic pose into wall-ready form. The blue colorway reinforces the mood of stillness and introspection that distinguishes the Time Off motif within his broader print output.
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
Time Off sits among KAWS's more emotionally introspective images, where the Companion is not striding or performing but simply lying down, exhausted or at peace. This vulnerability is central to why KAWS resonates so widely: a figure born from cartoon appropriation and street culture becomes a vessel for fatigue, melancholy, and the universal need to rest. The composition relates to his sculptural and painted treatments of the reclining figure and connects thematically to other 'time' titled works in his catalogue that explore solitude and the passage of time. For collectors, the blue colorway is prized for its calming presence and its clear emotional read. The image exemplifies how KAWS deepened the Companion into a serious artistic subject capable of carrying real feeling, helping cement his crossover from streetwear-adjacent cool to museum-recognized fine art. Its restful posture makes it one of the more meditative entries in his print catalogue and a recurring touchpoint for discussions of melancholy in his work.
Collector Perspective
Time Off (Blue) attracts collectors who gravitate toward KAWS's quieter, more introspective register and who appreciate a soothing palette for living spaces. It pairs naturally with other Time-titled prints and reclining-figure works, building a thematic cluster around rest, solitude, and the passage of time. The calm blue tone makes it especially display-friendly in bedrooms, studies, and contemplative interiors. Buyers often value it as an emotionally resonant counterpoint to the brighter, more energetic Companion prints, and it sits comfortably as a mid-tier acquisition that anchors the melancholic side of a KAWS collection.
Historical Context
Time Off belongs to KAWS's mature Companion and fine-art period, long after his 1990s street and subway interventions and his pioneering vinyl-toy releases. By this stage Brian Donnelly was using the Companion as a fully realized artistic subject, capable of carrying introspection and melancholy across paintings, sculptures, and editioned prints. The reclining, resting pose reflects a recurring motif in his later output, where the X-eyed figure conveys fatigue and quiet emotion rather than brand-driven swagger. The screenprint continues his consistent practice of making resonant imagery broadly accessible, an impulse traceable to his graffiti-rooted democratic instincts.
Documented Release Details
- Object type
- Editioned print or object
- Release date
- 2023
- Release-date note
- Catalog-listed release year from the saved secondary record; primary release-page confirmation remains pending.
- Series
- Companion 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 2023. It is grouped under Companion Series 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.
Market Context
- Estimated value. The median of recorded public sale prices for this piece, matched by title and colorway. We use the median (not the average) because it resists outliers.
- Min / max sale. The lowest and highest individual recorded sale prices; the range shows dispersion, not a guaranteed band.
- Recorded comps. The number of independent comparable sales; reliability rises with sample size (1–2 sales are indicative only).
- Liquidity & sales volume. Our liquidity rating reflects sales velocity — the number of recorded comparable sales and how recent the latest sale is. More frequent and more recent sales rate as more liquid (Highly Liquid → Liquid → Moderate → Thin → Very Thin); a piece with no recorded public sales is Extremely Rare.
- Estimate confidence. A traffic-light read on how well the data supports the estimate: green high, yellow medium, red low / indicative.
- Data source & currency. Compiled from recorded public marketplace and auction sales of US$200 or more, in US dollars, as of the latest recorded sale shown. Coverage is not exhaustive.
- Not financial or investment advice. For collector reference only — not an appraisal, offer, or guarantee of resale value. Art is volatile and illiquid; do your own research. Use is subject to our Terms & Conditions.
FAQ
What does Time Off (Blue) depict?
It shows KAWS's X-eyed COMPANION figure reclining at rest in a calm blue palette, one of his most introspective and meditative poses.
Is this a print?
Yes, it is a limited screenprint. The blue refers to its colorway, with the same composition issued in other tones.
How does it relate to other Time works?
It belongs to a loose group of 'time' themed KAWS works exploring rest, solitude, and the passage of time, including Time Together and Time Off prints.
Why do collectors like the blue version?
The blue palette reinforces the restful, contemplative mood and makes the print especially soothing and display-friendly in domestic settings.
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