Why had I never heard of Yayoi Kusama? Sure, there is a ton of work out there today…who can keep track of it all? The thing is, this mother of ‘soft sculpture’, this woman who inspired the likes of Claes Oldenberg and Andy Warhol had turned 80 this year and outlived them all!
Looking at her more colorful installations one can see clearly how she influenced these artists. Why, though, is she not included in the canon?
Kusama was born in Matsumoto Province of Japan to an aloof and philandering father and a tradition- soaked abusive mother. Once her father left the family for a geisha and her mother’s behavior became more and more explosive, Kusama began having visions of dots that she called “infinity nets” covering everything. At age 10 she began drawing and painting these visions at the encouragement of her psychiatrist.
Rebelling against her conservative mother, Kusama attended the Kyoto Municipal School of Arts and Crafts
In 1957, Kusama left Japan for New York, following a lengthy correspondence with the American artist Georgia O’Keeffe. Her first show was at the Zoe Dusanne Gallery, Seattle, WA. By the 1960′s Kusama was showing all over New york and throughout the world.
In America, Kusama’s installations caught the eye of critics and collectors. Her influence on both installation and Pop is obvious, looking back. Why is she not mentioned more in the context of this time? Is it just that female artists, unless married to successful male counterparts, were largely shoved aside at this time? After all, Henry Geldzahler’s vision of New York painting and sculpture 1940-1970 at the Met included no women.
Is it due to the deterioration of Kusama’s mental health? This forced her to return to Japan in 1973 and she consequently checked herself into the psychiatric hospital she still calls home. Did this marginalize her and lose her a place with the greats?
Although Kusama has continued to produce and flourish, winning many awards and recognition, she does not have the status and instant inclusion on the list of the modern masters. I believe this is due to a pervasive cruelty and indifference in the art world at large that marginalizes female creativity and achievement every bit as much as Kusama’s parents did.
Excellent writeup on Kusama – I had not heard of her either until I read your post. The original pop beauty of these installations should be enjoyed by more people. I wonder if her work is on display anywhere…..
Art, like every other discipline, has marginalized women and every other group considered a minority in the past. I am grateful to live at a time when the diverse richness of the world is becoming more accessible.