Which signature or marks are documented?

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. 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.

Is original packaging or presentation documented?

Original packaging or presentation was not documented in the release sources reviewed.

How certain are the release details?

The year, edition, dimensions, and medium come from a saved secondary catalog record. Artist-level context is added from general references, but not every release-level field is independently confirmed.

Gauntlet Gallery — Complete KAWS Index

Clean Slate — Black

KAWS · 2018 · Vinyl Figure

Year2018

MediumVinyl Figure

ColorwayBlack

EditionOpen Edition

Height14 in

ProducerModern Fort Worth / KAWSONE

Original Retail$480

EraContemporary Era

Work Summary & Collector Notes

Clean Slate (Black) is a 2018 open edition vinyl figure, 14 inches tall, released December 9, 2018 through the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth's shop in partnership with KAWSONE at $480 retail. It depicts a Companion striding forward carrying two smaller, infant-scale Companions, one in each arm — a parental image unusual in KAWS's catalog. The vinyl is a scale reduction of CLEAN SLATE, the 21-foot bronze the Modern acquired in 2018, which stands over the museum's pond. The release came in three colorways — monochrome grey, brown, and all black — with the black version rendering all three figures in a single unified black. It is the largest and highest-priced figure in the 2018 named-sculpture releases, and like all open editions it is unnumbered.

Collector notes: Legacy catalog label: Open Edition; 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

Clean Slate is the rare KAWS release tied directly to a museum acquisition: the vinyl dropped alongside the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth taking the monumental bronze into its permanent collection, giving the figure institutional anchoring most vinyl toys lack. Thematically, the caretaker pose extends the relational turn that began with Together — the Companion here protects rather than mourns.

Collector Perspective

Demand is driven by the museum-bronze connection, the larger sculpt, and a tighter original distribution than the standard KAWSONE drops, since it released through the Modern's channels.

Documented Release Details

Object type: Editioned sculpture / object
Release date: 2018
Release-date note: Catalog-listed release year from the saved secondary record; primary release-page confirmation remains pending.
Medium and materials: Vinyl Figure.
Edition details: Legacy catalog label: Open Edition; 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 2018.

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 does Clean Slate depict?

A Companion figure walking forward while carrying two infant-sized Companions, one in each arm. It is a direct scale-down of the 21-foot bronze CLEAN SLATE in the collection of the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth.

What is the edition size of Clean Slate (Black)?

No edition size was published — it is an unnumbered open edition. It released December 9, 2018 through the Modern's shop and online in grey, brown, and black colorways.

Is Clean Slate (Black) signed by KAWS?

No, the figure is not individually signed. Authentic examples carry molded production and copyright markings; the connection to KAWS is through the sanctioned production, not a signature.

How concerned should I be about fakes?

Clean Slate's price point makes it a target for counterfeiters. Examine the molded markings, joint fit where the small figures meet the arms, and box printing, and buy from a trusted dealer who documents sourcing and guarantees authenticity.

Why was Clean Slate released through a museum instead of KAWSONE?

The release coincided with the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth acquiring the monumental bronze version in 2018. The vinyl edition was sold through the museum's store and site as part of that partnership, which is also why distribution was tighter than typical KAWSONE drops.