ᐅ In the Beginning (Red, Gloss & Glitters Edition) by Kenny Scharf (2019) | Print

Artwork information

Technique

Six-color lithograph

Date

2019

Dimensions

93 cm x 75 cm

Dimensions with frame97 cm x 79 cm

Signature

Signed lower left

State of conservation

Very good

Framing

Yes

Location

Yangsan, South Korea

Description

Kenny Scharf, In the Beginning (Red, Gloss & Glitters Edition), 2019

The artwork In the Beginning (Red, Gloss & Glitters Edition) created in 2019 by Kenny Scharf is a highly limited lithograph that perfectly illustrates the explosive and cosmic visual universe of the American artist. A major figure of the New York art scene of the 1980s alongside Jean-Michel Basquiat and Keith Haring, Scharf has developed for more than four decades a unique visual language blending Pop Art, cartoon culture, science fiction and street culture.

In this striking composition, a constellation of red organic forms appears to burst from a central point, expanding in all directions like a cosmic explosion. Each tentacle-like shape ends in a caricatural creature, typical of the artist’s visual imagination.

The deep blue background, scattered with white splashes reminiscent of a starry sky, reinforces the impression of the birth of an expanding universe. This radial, dynamic and energetic structure directly echoes the title of the work, In the Beginning, a reference to the idea of origin or genesis.

As often in Kenny Scharf’s work, the image oscillates between visual humor, popular culture and a cosmic vision. Inspired by cartoons, science fiction and American pop imagery, the artist transforms these references into a contemporary mythology where hybrid creatures evolve within a psychedelic and vibrant space.

A rare and technically sophisticated edition
This Red, Gloss & Glitters Edition stands out for both its rarity and the richness of its printing process.

Produced as a six-color lithograph on BFK Rives 300 gsm paper, the work was printed using a Marinoni lithographic press, a traditional technique renowned for its precision and chromatic depth.

The composition is further enhanced with a gloss varnish and hand-applied “Angel Dust” glitter, adding a luminous and vibrant dimension that amplifies the cosmic effect of the scene. Each print is hand-signed by the artist, numbered and stamped by the publisher JRP|Editions. The edition is limited to only 30 impressions, making it a particularly sought-after variant among collectors.

Artwork details
Artist: Kenny Scharf
Title: In the Beginning (Red, Gloss & Glitters Edition)
Year: 2019
Technique: Six-color lithograph with gloss varnish and hand-applied glitter
Paper: BFK Rives 300 gsm
Dimensions: 93 × 75 cm
Edition: 30 impressions
Signature: Hand-signed by the artist, numbered and publisher-stamped
Publisher: JRP|Editions

Provenance

JRP|Editions

The artist

Painter

Sculptor

Kenny Scharf

Famous artist

Painter

Sculptor

Born in 1958

United States

Bio

Kenny Scharf is an American artist born on November 23, 1958, in Los Angeles, California. A major figure of the New York art scene of the 1980s, he is associated with the East Village Art Scene and with the generation of artists who profoundly transformed contemporary art alongside Jean-Michel Basquiat and Keith Haring.

Known for his explosive, colorful and deliberately accessible visual universe, Kenny Scharf has developed for more than four decades a body of work that blends popular culture, science fiction, animation, graffiti, and social critique.

Education and early years in New York

Kenny Scharf studied at the School of Visual Arts (SVA) in New York in the late 1970s. It was during this period that he met Jean-Michel Basquiat, with whom he shared an apartment and an artistic energy that would deeply mark the New York art scene of the time.

Scharf quickly became part of the vibrant cultural environment of the East Village, then at the center of the artistic avant-garde. In the 1980s, he exhibited in now legendary venues such as Club 57, a true laboratory of New York’s underground culture where artists, musicians and performers regularly gathered.

This period marked the emergence of his distinctive visual language: a universe filled with hybrid characters, cartoon-like faces, biomorphic shapes and fluorescent colors.

A universe between pop culture and dystopia

Kenny Scharf’s work is deeply influenced by the American visual culture of the 1950s and 1960s, including cartoons, science fiction, advertising, comic books and futuristic design.

His paintings often depict grotesque characters, extraterrestrials or mutants evolving within psychedelic and colorful environments. Behind this playful and accessible aesthetic lies a darker reflection on consumer society, technology, ecology and the future of humanity.

Scharf has also developed immersive environments and urban projects, notably the famous Cosmic Caverns, painted installations covering walls, objects and sculptures to create fully immersive visual spaces.

An international career

Since the 1980s, Kenny Scharf has exhibited in numerous institutions and galleries around the world. His work has been presented in major museums such as the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York, the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles (MOCA) and the Hammer Museum.

His works are now part of many important public and private collections, confirming his place among the key artists to emerge from the New York art scene of the 1980s.

A constantly evolving body of work

Today, Kenny Scharf continues to produce paintings, sculptures, installations and urban projects. His work remains immediately recognizable for its visual energy, vibrant colors and iconic characters, while continuing to explore the place of human beings in a world saturated with images and technologies.

At the crossroads of Pop Art, street art and underground culture, Kenny Scharf has developed a singular body of work that continues to influence new generations of contemporary artists.