Kewl-Aide

2D Kool-Aid pouches and IV bags arranged in a checkered pattern against a purple background.

Leading manufacturers of most consumer products view them (regardless of category) as effective and relatively inexpensive ways to promote brand indoctrination of children - who constitute tomorrow’s many millions of consumers for their products. “Kewl-Aide” can be recognized by an image of everyone’s favorite Kool-Aid Man, but juxtaposed with the juice pack pouches (in 9 colors representing flavors / varieties from Simmons’ childhood) are IV bags, - a not so subtle analogy on the now lackadaisical use of the drip as a solution and “trendy” method of post-party recovery.

This composition stems from the irony of consumption – exemplified by getting drunk on societal “Jonestown” Kool-Aid until we’re so sick that we need medical attention. However, Simmons does not moralize or judge, but instead seeks to awaken the reality of the society that surrounds us by pairing thematically similar motifs. With this intention, her work critiques without sermonizing, in an attempt to persuade her audiences to drop its defenses and paradoxically, examine our culture of consumption with a more critical mindset.

DIMENSIONS: 24(h) x 36(w)
MEDIUM: Original Hand-Pulled Silkscreen; Edition of 95, Signed and Numbered
YEAR: 2017

Framed artwork showcasing rows of IV bags and colorful juice pouches on a purple background hanging in a room with a lime-green modern armchair.
Graphic artwork of different colored Kool-Aid juice pouches and IV bags against a purple background hanging in a white frame above a blue console.
Purple pop art graphic print of kewl aid pouches and IV bag in a white frame hanging above 2 orange chairs.
A silkscreen of pop art Kool-Aid juice pouches and IV bags hanging in a white frame above a table.
Purple pop art graphic print of Kool-Aid juice pouches and IV bags hanging in a white frame above a table.
A framed artwork displaying a grid of 12 colorful drink pouches with IV bags on a deep purple background framed above a beige upholstered bed adorned with yellow and black pillows.
Silkscreen print by Kristin Simmons, displayed above a wood dining table, showcasing a repeating pattern of Kool Aid drink pouches interspersed with IV bags on a vibrant purple background.