The Thing Quarterly: Issue 31, Ken Kagami
A sexy bath towel, covered in images of exactly what it’s meant to hide
In yet another delightful iteration of The Thing Quarterly, “Issue 31” is both playful and handy. This “issue” happens to be a “Sexy Bath Towel” by Tokyo-based artist Ken Kagami. A zine accompanies the towel, written by Kagami but featuring an intro penned by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg. Will Rogan (co-founder of The Thing) and Kagami are both represented by the same Tokyo gallery, MISAKO & ROSEN. “I was aware of their work, and especially enjoyed the John Baldesarri project, so I have always been ready to work with them if asked!” he tells us.
The team at The Thing suggested Kagami work on a Sexy Bath Towel: “I thought this was an interesting project. Don’t you find it funny that the towel, which is meant to hide the body, is covered in images of exactly what is meant to be hidden?” The result is, indeed, humorous, but it’s also very sweet in a strange, earnest way. The body parts’ little faces are so cheerful they’re sure to make hopping out of the shower—even on a Monday to head to work—a much more joyful act.
As with so much of Kagami’s other work, the towel plays with the dichotomy of innocence and sex—which incorporates humor, a little awkwardness and a strange sense of nostalgia. “Privacy and sex, I can’t think of anything funnier,” he says. “It’s all about human experience and people have their own drama which, when objectified, can become a very funny thing.”
The Thing Issue 31: Ken Kagami, sexy bath towel is available online now for $65.
Images courtesy of The Thing Quarterly
