Yayoi Kusama moved from Japan to New York in the late 50s. On her first day in the city, she went to the top of the Empire State Building, looked down, and
made a decision to stand out from everyone she saw below and become a star.Soon she abandoned the small, delicate watercolors she was producing in favor of mural-sized Minimalist canvases covered with small obsessive brushstrokes. Eighteen months later the large, impressive paintings were featured in a solo exhibition and received rave reviews. That may have cemented a style for a lesser artist, but Kusama pressed forward. She went on to produce sculptures using found objects, some of which later appeared in her installations. As the politically tumultuous 60s progressed, her artwork continued to evolve. In the mid-sixties Kusama enlisted the help of hippies willing to strip for peace to create anti-war art. Using props such as American flags, guns, Richard Nixon face-masks, and her signature polka dots, Kusama created provocative Happenings that even seasoned New Yorkers could not ignore.
Kusama - Princess Of Polka Dots film preview appears on the Dvd in this issue.
