ISOLATION TOWER

Medium: Screenprint on Saunders Waterford 425gm HP Hi-white paper
Year: 2016
Size: 60×43 inches (152.4 x 109.2 cm)
Edition: 50
Artist’s Proofs: 20 AP
Publisher: Pace Prints, New York

Each signed, dated, and numbered in pencil

 

ISOLATION TOWER reimagines the Peanuts character Snoopy as a collage of various KAWS figures, marked by his signature “X-ed out” eyes. Its meaning lies in the juxtaposition of pop culture and fine art, exploring themes of isolation and the chaotic nature of consumption, while its legacy is seen in its high-profile release and subsequent puzzle, solidifying KAWS’s place at the intersection of art and popular culture.

In 2021, KAWS released ISOLATION TOWER again as a jigsaw puzzle, exclusively through the Brooklyn Museum, to coincide with a major exhibition there.

The work remixes a beloved cartoon character, blending popular culture with fine art and blurring the lines between them. The title “Isolation Tower” and the character’s posture (in other related works) suggest a sense of emotional separation, introspection, and disconnection. The “tower” of figures within Snoopy can be interpreted as a chaotic and colorful representation of consumerism and the endless proliferation of characters and products in modern society.

 

 

 

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Auction Results

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Abington Auction Gallery (AAG): 15 October 2025
Estimated: USD 8,000 – 10,000
USD 11,000 (Hammer)
USD 13,860

KAWS
‘Isolation Tower’, 2016
Screenprint on Saunders Waterford Paper
Signed and dated lower right ‘KAWS ’16’
Numbered lower left 46/50

Phillips New-York: 12 February 2025
Estimated: USD 15,000 – 25,000
USD 16,510

Christie’s New-York: 10 March 2021
Estimated: USD 30,000 – 50,000
USD 43,750

KAWS (B.1974)
ISOLATION TOWER, 2016
Screenprint in colors on Saunders Waterford paper
Signed and dated in pencil, numbered ‘AP 15/20’
An artist’s proof, the edition was 50