Kenny Scharf on Creating a Jigsaw Puzzle with ArtXPuzzles: Puzzles with Purpose for Covid-19 Relief and Artist Relief in Conversation with Noah Becker

Kenny Scharf with Blobzic, 2018, Kenny Scharf Jigsaw Puzzle, 18 x 24 in. 500 Jigsaw Puzzle Pieces, ESKA Premium Board. Traditional Paper Jigsaw Puzzle. Unlimited Collector Edition (2020) produced by Art X Puzzles: Puzzles with Purpose for the benefit of COVID-19 Artist Relief organizations.

By NOAH BECKER, March 2021

NOAH BECKER: Your artwork titled Blobzic, 2018 was your selected artwork image which was transformed to a Collector Edition Jigsaw Puzzle to help COVID19 Relief and Artist Relief, can you speak to this decision for this work to be created into a special Collector Edition Jigsaw Puzzle, and your experience yourself puzzling it together? 

KENNY SCHARF: It started because the painting itself looked like a puzzle wall where the pieces connect. One day I’d like to do a puzzle where the shapes are the shapes of the blobs but that was too expensive so we did it traditionally.  

NB: Your recent Dior launch caught the eyes of top fashion and art critics, writers and celebrities around the world. Fans such as Kate Moss, Kim Kardashian and many more can be seen wearing your latest designs, can you speak to us briefly about your creative process in producing new artworks, exhibitions, editions all during these trying times during the pandemic?

KS: The work was chosen by talented Dior director Kim Jones from my library of images. Some were classics from the 80s and some were so recent that they were still drying while they were being made into fashion. 

Blobzic, 2018 Live Video of Jigsaw Puzzle: Click Here. Can be found on AMAZON: Kenny Scharf Jigsaw Puzzle Size: (Horizontal) 18 x 24 in. 500 Jigsaw Puzzle Pieces, ESKA Premium Board. Traditional Paper Jigsaw Puzzle. Unlimited Collector Edition (2020) produced by Art X Puzzles: Puzzles with Purpose for the benefit of COVID-19 Artist Relief organizations. 

NB: Do you have advice to offer to others and perhaps other contemporary artists in our current times during the COVID19 pandemic...2021? 

KS: Artists who work solo don’t have too much trouble adapting to Covid times. 

NB: Have you continued to work through the pandemic?

KS: For me it’s been very fruitful as I don’t have constant distractions from traveling and visitors. So as sad as covid has been with so many people suffering it has been very good for my artistic practice. 

Blobzic, 2018 Live Video of Jigsaw Puzzle: Click Here. Can be found on AMAZON: Kenny Scharf Jigsaw Puzzle Size: (Horizontal) 18 x 24 in. 500 Jigsaw Puzzle Pieces, ESKA Premium Board. Traditional Paper Jigsaw Puzzle. Unlimited Collector Edition (2020) produced by Art X Puzzles: Puzzles with Purpose for the benefit of COVID-19 Artist Relief organizations. 

NB: You continue to timelessly engage viewers, so how did you feel creating a collector edition jigsaw puzzle and placing it in the hands of people worldwide? IE Art collectors, art lovers and puzzle enthusiasts around the world in 2020/2021?

KS: I love it! 

NB: On a stricktly creative note - what inspires you? 

KS: I’m inspired by everything around me, mostly nature. 

NB: Do you have any upcoming projects you want to speak about?

KS: Seems I will be pretty busy this fall in China with museum and gallery shows.

NB: We all want to know…. will you do another collector jigsaw puzzle from this series and/or any other series,  will we see more puzzling in the future?  

KS: I hope so! WM