Illustrators and serious artists are two highly similar but fundamentally different professions.
Illustrators are like pop singers, aiming for the mass market that appreciates simplicity; their ultimate dream is to become a popular cultural symbol.
The most profitable illustrators take a career path like KAWS, delving into trendy brands and art toys.
Every year, they sell millions of co-branded luxury items worldwide, earning tens of US Dollars per piece, with a net income of hundreds of millions of dollars.
Among the buyers of KAWS collaborations.
There is a large number of non-trendy art enthusiasts.
They don't even know what trendy art is. The symbolic meaning of KAWS art is something nine out of ten can't understand; it's just the religious fervor and socially popular environment that naturally create a crossover effect.
Essentially, top-notch illustrators hope their work is as brainwashing as the Chopstick Brothers' "Little Apple."
