Iconic Japanese artist featured in Cleveland
‘Yayoi Kusama Infinity Mirrors’ attracting visitors from throughout the nation.
“I want to bring joy and hap- had a problem being enclosed ful polka dots and it’s quite ists like Georgia O’Keeffe, Don- piness through art,” Kusama inside each box. an amazing sight! ald Judd, Joeseph Cornell and says in the exhibit catalog. You’ll see other examples Kusama lived in New York also became known for per- Judging from the response of of Kusama’s works as well — from 1958 to 1973 where she formance art, film, fashion, museum-goers we sp oke to from wonderful colored paint- became famous for painting poetry, fiction and other arts. last weekend, she does. ings to whimsical soft sculp- nude bodies with polka dots There’s a documentary
The vibrant and unusual tures. Don’t miss the video with in protest of the Vietnam War. about Kusama in the works and show will entertain everymem- Kusama talking about her art. She associated with famous art- NewY ork’s MoM Ai s launching ber of the family; I chatted We loved the final installawith young children who said tion, “The Obliteration Room.” they were loving it. Particu- First Sherwin-Williams painters “Our earth is only one polka larly intriguing are the seven sprayed an entire room filled dot among a million stars in the mirrored room installations. with furniture and accessories cosmos.” —Yayoi Kusama Visitors are invited — two-by— all totally white. Visitors are
She dresses in giant polka two — to enter small rooms given a sheet of colorful polka dots, bold colors and an orange where you’ll have 20 to 30 dot stickers and invited inside wig, but Yayoi Kusama is far seconds to marvel at the spec- to place stickers wherever you from a clown. On the contrary, tacle inside. Note that neither like. Now that the exhibit is the 89-year-old artist, who my friend with her claustro- in its last month, the entire has been painting since the phobia nor I with my vertigo room is plastered with colorage of eight, takes life and her art very seriously. She continuestopainteverydayfrom9 a.m. in the morning until dark.
A major exhibit of her work, “Yayoi Kusama Infinity Mirrors” is touring the nation and is currently featured at the Cleveland Museum of Art where visitors from 48 states have already flocked to see it. It’s definitely worth the “flock,” but you’ll need to get there this month — it closes Sept. 30. a pair of skate decks where two of her most famous polka-dot works will be painted across the boards.