Yayoi Kusama Retrospective
July 13, 2012

NEW YORK—On July 12th, a 14-room retrospective of Yayoi Kusama opened at the Whitney Museum of American Art. Arriving in New York after a run at the Tate Modern in London, the show initiates visitors into the world of the psychedelic polka dot.

Dots have inspired Kusama’s compositions since she began to hallucinate as a twelve year-old. Experiencing a world overlaid with spots and circles, Kusama therapeutically translated her visual experience into art. Today the artist still delights in dots—she is currently collaborating with Louis Vuitton to produce a collection of garments and accessories that celebrate her trademark imagery. Kusama, who represented by both the Victoria Miro and Gagosian Galleries, hasn’t always been so successful. After making a splash in the New York art scene of the ‘60s with her free-love polka-dot painting “happenings,” she experienced a breakdown and returned to a mental hospital in her native Japan. By 1996 her work was appearing in junkshops around the city—one intern bought a phallic-carbuncle chair for just $250.

At 83 years old, Kusama has confidently reclaimed the spotlight. Her eagerly anticipated retrospective at the Whitney showcases her creations chronologically, tracing the development of her style through a broad range of installation art, sculpture, painting, film and performance. Highlights include her Accumulations sculpture series and her Infinity Net paintings. Also on display is Kusama’s stunning Fireflies on Water (2002). Acquired by the Whitney in 2003, the installation creates the illusion of endless space, inviting viewers to transcend their sense of self through a brief encounter with infinity.

Image courtesy The Whitney Museum of American Art