Ronnie Pirovino on collecting Kaws and his upcoming Kaws toy sale at Heritage Auctions

In this week's episode of the ArtTactic Podcast, Ronnie Pirovino,
who is recognized as one of the most prolific collectors of Kaws'
work, joins us ahead of Heritage Auctions' The Toy Collection of
Ronnie K. Pirovino sale on November 7th, featuring 118 lots
containing Kaws toys from Ronnie's personal collection. First,
Ronnie tells us why he started collecting Kaws' work in the early
2000s, well before there was the hype for his art that we see
today. Also, he explains how he amassed such a large collection of
works by Kaws during that time, when Kaws was not a part of the
gallery system like traditional artists. Then, Ronnie shares what
resonated so strongly with him in Kaws' work and artist statement
that motivated him to acquire hundreds of works. Next, Ronnie
speaks about what is so special about the Kaws collecting
community, which some have compared to a cult, and how he
organically became a leader within it who has made himself
accessible to others who have questions about the artist's work.
Lastly, Ronnie discusses the issue of the proliferation of bootlegs
or fakes and why he wants his sale to be an opportunity for Kaws
collectors to acquire works without having to worry about a
questionable provenance.