Gauntlet Gallery
What is KAWS’s piece called “Time Off (Print)”?
Summary
A KAWS print version of his "Time Off" composition, depicting a Companion figure in a reclining, resting pose that conveys exhaustion or repose, rendered in his crisp screenprint idiom. The imagery shows the rounded, gloved-hands character with crossed-out eyes laid back as if taking a break, a tender and slightly melancholic vignette typical of KAWS's emotional Companion scenes. As an editioned print it carries flat, saturated color and clean contours, translating the feel of his paintings into a wall-ready limited edition intended for display.
Why It Matters
"Time Off" is part of a recurring strand in KAWS's work that treats the Companion as a stand-in for human feeling, here capturing a moment of rest, fatigue, or quiet withdrawal. This emotional register, beneath the cartoon-friendly surface, is a key reason his imagery resonates so widely. The print edition matters because it makes a beloved composition accessible to a large audience as a limited, collectible work, supporting both his reach and the active secondary market around his editions. The resting pose connects to broader themes of mortality, melancholy, and the human need for pause, giving the work depth beyond its pop appeal. As one of several related "Time" compositions, it also participates in a small body of works exploring temporal and emotional states, reinforcing KAWS's interest in using a simple character to convey complex moods. For collectors, it is a recognizable, emotionally resonant entry in his print catalog.
Collector Perspective
This print appeals to collectors drawn to the more tender, narrative side of KAWS, as well as those who simply want strong graphic wall art. Its calm, restful imagery makes it well suited to living and bedroom spaces, and it groups naturally with other "Time" and Companion prints. Within a collection it serves as accessible, emotionally engaging wall content that complements figures and sculptures. Collectors prioritize crisp color, full margins, and intact signature and numbering, with clean, unfaded examples being the most desirable. As an editioned and recognizable composition it carries reasonable liquidity in the KAWS print market.
Historical Context
"Time Off (Print)" reflects KAWS's fine-art and editioned print phase, where the Companion functions as a vehicle for emotion. Building on his graffiti origins and designer-toy success, Donnelly developed paintings and prints that gave the character interior life, depicting it in vulnerable, resting, or contemplative states. This work belongs to that later, studio-based stage and to a cluster of related "Time" compositions, showing how he uses a cartoon-derived figure to explore fatigue, melancholy, and the passage of time.
FAQ
What does Time Off depict?
It shows a Companion figure in a reclining, resting pose suggesting fatigue or repose, a tender and slightly melancholic scene.
Is this the print or a painting?
This is the print edition of the Time Off composition.
How does it relate to Time Off (Blue)?
They are part of the same composition family rendered in different colorways.
What themes does it explore?
Rest, fatigue, melancholy, and the passage of time, conveyed through the Companion character.
Related Works
About the Artist
KAWS is the working name of Brian Donnelly (b. 1974, Jersey City). He began in the 1990s subverting bus-shelter and phone-booth advertisements, then built a singular visual language around the Companion — a Mickey-Mouse-descended figure with crossed-out X eyes — alongside Chum, BFF, Accomplice and a cast of appropriated cartoon characters. His practice spans paintings, screenprints, vinyl and bronze sculpture, and the monumental KAWS:Holiday installations shown in cities worldwide. His work is held by the Brooklyn Museum, the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, and major private collections, and he is among the most collected artists of his generation.