Yayoi Kusama at the Sepentine Gallery in 2000 with her work Dots Obsession. Image: http://www.guardian.ca.uk
The conceptual artist Yayoi Kusama has been painting dots and nets since the age of ten. The environments she creates are stunning, menacing, and overwhelming, providing a brief glimpse of the world she inhabits – one filled with hallucinations and visions. Her art has allowed her to manage and express her obsessive visions, and has been recognized with numerous awards and retrospectives. At the age of 80, she continues to produce work in her studio by day, returning to the mental institution where she chooses to reside by night.
There is currently a retrospective of her work at the Tate Modern, which will then travel to the Whitney Museum in New York. I, for one, would love to step into one of her visions, but unlike someone I know who is in London for work, I am nowhere near the Tate! Hmmm, perhaps a little road trip to New York this summer?
Here’s a trailer for the documentary Princess of Polka Dots, exploring the work of this avant-garde artist.
ArtClubBlog 