Colors of Kakano

Introduction

This is the second of my posts about Kakano, you can find the first one here so I’d suggest reading that first as I’ll use some of the terms in this post :)

There are 32 palettes in Kakano, the majority of which are based on the work of traditional or modern artists. The only exceptions are the iridescent and prism palettes which I included purely because I can’t resist some colorful “rainbow” pieces!

In this post I’ll be showcasing the inspiration for, and example of, each artist palette as well as a link to learn about the art/ist or view more of their work.

I’ve kept to a fairly structured approach because of the large number of palettes, but I hope this is still an interesting insight into the collection.

 

Albrecht

Golden Cloud

Gretchen Albrecht is a New Zealand artist and Golden Cloud is one of my favorite pieces.
More info

Appian

A Pond with a Fisherman along the River Ain

Adolphe Appian has created some of the most beautiful charcoal and monochrome art I have come across.
More info

Banksy

Girl with Balloon

Perhaps the most famous graffiti artist of modern times. The Banksy palette has an exclusive paint deterioration effect in Kakano.
More info

Bayer

Newspaper Stand

Bayer was one of the most prolific creators and influential artists of the Bauhaus, initially as a student and later as a teacher.
More info

Botticelli

The Birth of Venus

Botticelli included Lorenzo de’ Medici amongst his patrons, a family name that might be familiar for some collectors.
More info

Dunand

Fortissimo

Jean Dunand is perhaps best known for his lacquered pieces created during the Art Deco period.
More info

Escher

Gravitation

I adore Escher’s surrealist work and was delighted to be able to adapt a palette from this piece.
More info

Kakano #668 - NotoriousCAM

Gauguin

Fire Dance

I was introduced to Paul Gauguin’s work by family who spent several months in French Polynesia where Gauguin lived for many years.
More info

Guayasamin

Napalm

I owe my discovery of Oswaldo Guayasamin to a very good friend of mine who suggested his work when I was looking to add more diversity to Kakano’s palettes.
More info

Hokusai

The Great Wave off Kanagawa

My wife requested the inclusion of this piece/palette within just a few minutes of me telling her I was dropping the monochrome-only approach.
More info

Johnson

Cosmic Slops

This series of works from Rashid Johnson is created using black soap and micro-crystalline wax.
More info

Kahlo

Self-Portrait with Thorn Necklace and Hummingbird

Kahlo’s bold use of color made her an early choice for inspiration, although I found it one of the trickiest palettes to balance.
More info

Kandinsky

Apple Tree

This was a slight indulgence, choosing a lesser-known piece as the inspiration rather than Wassily’s abstract work.
More info

Klee

The Goldfish

Paul Klee’s library of work could be the source of the palettes for an entire series.
More info

Klimt

The Kiss

This was the palette that I spent the most time on. I wanted to use the same background hue, but despite many hours I could not find a balance I was happy with.
More info

Kusama

All the Eternal Love I Have for the Pumpkins

Yayoi’s polka dots are already legendary, her work is truly iconic.
More info

Lempicka

Autoportrait

Tamara de Lempicka was an artist I had not come across often until I began exploring the Art Deco movement, which was a key inspiration for the geometric shapes in Kakano.
More info

Lissitzky

There is over

Perhaps best known for his suprematist series Proun, Lissitzky’s influences are still seen in graphic design.
More info

Magritte

The Son of Man

I’ve long loved surrealist art, the combination of absurdity and artistic brilliance never fails to bring a smile and contemplation.
More info

Metropolis

Metropolis (Film Poster)

This palette was the result of a fantastic suggestion from a friend, who noted the Bauhaus design influences in the film.
More info

Molnar

Pink et Rouge

There are few artists who have influenced generative art more than Vera Molnár. It is an absolute delight to name a palette after her.
More info

Munch

The Scream

My wife fought me on this palette for several weeks before I won her round to its unique charms!
More info

O’Keefe

Black White and Blue

Georgia O’Keefe’s absolute mastery of color made her an easy choice for inclusion. I would love to explore her work more in another collection.
More info

Picasso

Guernica

Few works have better captured the futility of war. This piece strikes particularly hard right now.
More info

Pollock

Number 1

Perhaps not an obvious choice for a geometric series, but as a study and adventure in color Pollock demands inclusion.
More info

Rothko

Black on Maroon

Rothko’s abstract color studies merit more than a single palette, but that might be a spoiler for a future project ;)
More info

Van Gogh

The Starry Night

One of my favorite pieces of art, I nearly removed this palette for fear of not doing it justice.
More info

Vermeer

Girl with a Pearl Earring

An iconic painting, but one of the trickier palettes to balance for Kakano’s styles and patterns.
More info

Warhol

Liz

Pop art legend, I chose this particular piece because it has long been my favorite of the Liz series.
More info

Whistler

Nocturne in Black and Gold, The Falling Rocket

This was the last palette I added but I adore this piece, although each of Whistler’s Nocturnes are similarly incredible.
More info

Next
Next

Kakano Deep Dive