When I initially began the research for my thesis, I was focused on bringing together the disparate details of KAWS' career, the influence of social media, and the relationships that are formed between museums and street artists. These ideas are still at the center of my research, but I believe that other components must be evaluated as well.
Rather than viewing museums as and end-goal brought to fruition by an increased following, I believe it would be of more value to evaluate how an artist's following can bolster their career in multiple ways- or how they can broaden their following through other artistic avenues. As opposed to perceiving the museum space as a symbol of an artist's success, it is important to realize that brand partnerships/collaborations, different mediums of work, and a social media presence serve to enhance an artist's reach- in addition to recognition by a formal cultural institution. Instead of viewing the museum as the culmination of an artist's work, KAWS has prompted me to view this as one piece in a much larger puzzle, as his career continues strongly through many other facets of creation. Overall, I have come to believe that there are many more intricate interplays between an artist and their following (including what the following allows for), rather than simply between an artist and the museum.
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