Product Description
Modeled after the open edition collectable astronaut made specially to celebrate Billionaire Boys Club's 20th anniversary, this chromed polyresin larger scale version of Kagan's celebrated astronaut was made specifically for this auction. This work is signed and dated on the bottom of the foot “Michael Kagan 2022”.
Product Year
2022
Product Materials
Chromed polyresin
Product Dimensions
38 3/16 x 20 7/8 x 22 1/16 in. (97 x 53 x 56 cm.)
Product Note
Both Virginia Beach-bred, both fascinated with space and the humans who explore it, and both wildly prolific artists. Pharrell Williams and Michael Kagan’s paths would probably have crossed eventually, but Pharrell initiated the crossing in 2013 when he humbly emailed Kagan proposing a project. Through their multitude of mutual interests, Kagan and P formed like Voltron and have collaborated multiple times, most recently in March of this year, with the launch of the Michael Kagan X Billionaire Boys Club Astronaut Figurine. Those figures, rendered in both silver and gold chrome stood 10.5 inches tall. This 1of1 edition is rendered at a much larger scale (38.2 inches tall) and was made exclusively for the Just Phriends auction. It is a 3-dimensional reimagining of Kagan’s ubiquitous Astronaut paintings and the culmination of his and Pharrell’s long history of collaboration.
"My first collaboration with Pharrell Williams was in 2013. Pharrell emailed me with such a genuine and sincere approach to connecting and the vibe of a real artist asking another to come together. That first collaboration was the big rocket launch momentum of my career. It was inspiring to me to work with Pharrell and watch one's art live and shine in different mediums from my canvas to his clothing line. Our second collaboration was in 2019, which overlapped with the first museum exhibition of my career at Virginia MOCA in Virginia Beach. This moment felt special as Pharrell and I are both born and raised in Virginia Beach, Virginia. He wrote the forward to the published book that accompanied the exhibition and was released during the event.
The third collaboration in 2023 happened as always with us....organically and beautifully. Pharrell saw one of my large scale bronze astronaut sculptures in Miami Basel and we decided to make an open edition collectable of the same figure to celebrate Billionaire Boys Club 20th anniversary. We finished it in gold and chrome to make it extra special. A 1/1 in chrome in a larger scale was made specifically for this auction... it is a truly beautiful object and the culmination of our long history of collaborations. Pharrell's respect for artists and their practice as well as his sincerity in the way he treats both his and others' creative practice are the reasons why our past three collaborations have been extremely significant markers in my career. Our Virginia Beach backgrounds and our mutual love for all things space are the ultimate cherries on top. I look forward to many more years of future work with this great artist."
- Michael Kagan
