Kusama: Polka Dot Queen
'Kusama: Polka Dot Queen' by Simon Elliott
Yoko Ono wasn’t the only Japanese conceptual artist in ‘60s New York. Yayoi Kusama made at least as big a splash in that town, especially after her “happenings,” featuring naked participants painted in bright polka dots.
With Kusama’s bold colors and patterns as his model, Britain’s Simon Elliott has produced a visually distinct graphic biography to illustrate her tumultuous, troubled life. Most of Polka Dot Queen takes place prior to the early ‘70s when, fearing total breakdown, she committed herself to a mental hospital. She grew up in an unhappy home during Japan’s authoritarian 1930s. Her mother was cruel, and her philandering father left her with a distaste for sex. Her earliest art depicted the “hallucinations” she saw around her.
After a period of obscurity, Kusama was rediscovered. In 1998 she was the subject of 30 exhibitions around the world, with many biennales and triennales to come. “Even now, I have the urge to jump,” she said. “It is only my love of art that has prevented me from doing it. Art is the thread that has kept me tied to this world.”
Buy Polka Dot Queen on Amazon here.
Paid link
