Image via Complex Original
This year's MTV Video Music Awards in Brooklyn were over the top as usual, but no matter what you came away with after watching, there were instances of top-notch art and design that you may have missed. We decided to highlight the 7 Art Moments You May Have Missed at the VMAs, because between the performances and KAWS stage takeover, these really may have passed you by. Prepare to be surprised, and let us know if you found any more in the comments.
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The Stage, Moonman, and Red Carpet With Sculptures by KAWS
In case you missed it, KAWS redesigned the VMA Moonman in the style of his Companion figure. Additionally, he redesigned the stage at Barclays Center to include a giant inflatable sculpture of Companion, a sculpture of Companion sitting in one of the aisles, another sculpture of Companion on the red carpet (photo by WorldsBestEver), and Companion's ears surrounding the main stage's screen. It's safe to say that Companion ruled the show, and as KAWS said in our video interview with him, "Companion is up for a lot of things that people don't expect of him."
Lady Gaga as a Jeff Koons' Sculpture, Warhol's Marilyn Monroe, and Botticelli's Venus
Lady Gaga's performance at the VMAs mirrored her "Applause" video, where she plays a wide array of characters from German Expressionist films, iconic works of art, and herself in past videos like "Alejandro" and "Telephone." As she sang, "One second I'm a Koons, then suddenly the Koons is me," she and her dancers held blue metallic Jeff Koons gazing balls, before she transformed into one of Andy Warhol's Marilyn Monroe paintings (1962) and Sandro Botticelli's The Birth of Venus (1486). When she sings, "Pop culture was in art now / Art's in Pop culture in me" she means it.
WATCH THE PERFORMANCE
Kanye West's "Blood on the Leaves" Backdrop
While Kanye West's performance of "Blood on the Leaves" was a simple silhouette of him against an image of trees and woods, there was a lot more depth that the audience wasn't aware of at the time. After the performance, he tweeted a link to his website, with the text below, showing that the photograph directly related to the lyrics in the song. Just two days before, Kanye told Kris Jenner (on her TV show, "Kris") that his father was a photojournalist. This likely quieted anyone who was underwhelmed by the performance initially.
BLOOD ON THE LEAVES http://t.co/1xvft3iIuj pic.twitter.com/aEt5UW3biI
— KANYE WEST (@kanyewest) August 26, 2013
Miley Cyrus' Dancing Bears Crew by Todd James
Miley Cyrus' "We Can't Stop" VMA performance may have rubbed some people the wrong way, but her crew of dancing bears were awesome. They were designed by the incredible Todd James (REAS), who Instagrammed teasers of the bear costumes in the days leading up to the awards show.
Robin Thicke's Paper Mache Picasso Painting
Maybe the paper mache painting in Robin Thicke's performance of "Give it 2 U" looked familiar to you. The watch alongside it was a big hint; it was a pretty well-done copy of Pablo Picasso's Seated Woman with Wrist Watch (1932).
Drake's Album Cover by Kadir Nelson Reenacted for "Hold On, We're Going Home"
Drake's Nothing Was The Same album cover dropped the Wednesday before the VMAs, and it showed two sides of him, one as a kid and one as an adult, painted by artist Kadir Nelson. For his performance of "Hold On, We're Going Home," Drake reenacted the cover before going to the middle stage to rap "Started From the Bottom." Bringing the painting to life was an excellent decision.
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Katy Perry's Gold Lion Sculptures
Katy Perry performed "Roar" in a boxing ring next to the Brooklyn Bridge, and it was pretty epic. Alongside the stage were two giant, golden sculptures of lions that nearly stole the show through their scale alone. We don't know the artist who did them, but they topped off a solid night of art at the VMAs.
