Yayoi Kusama is celebrated globally for her ubiquitous dotted pumpkin-shaped sculptures along with her intricate large-scale installations and performances. The fact that the artist also makes collages is far less known. To remedy that the Barbara Mathes gallery in New York is staging ‘Collages: Wings in the Net Forest,’ which showcases nine of her delicate collages dating from the 1980s and 1990s.
As to what led the idiosyncratic Japanese artist to turn to collage, Mathes points out, ‘Kasuma was in daily contact with Joseph Cornell and no less than that creator of Surreal magical boxes gifted Kusama his collage materials right before his untimely death in 1972.’
Like Cornell, Kusuma explored entrapment and freedom. This is reflected in her 1996 Repetitive Vision - a delicate collage dotted with pumpkins in a forest in which the Japanese artist has included a figure of herself topped by an orange wizard hat, somewhat hidden. ‘There’s tension between being part of the landscape but seeking to escape,’ says Mathes.
All produced while she was in Japan, her other collages feature birds, sea creatures and insects, among them a fly. They’re part of her visual vocabulary and reveal a sense of mobility, but at the same time a loss of freedom. In some cases, the tones from a brilliant blue to an emerald green are radiant, and the forms themselves are intricately depicted, right down to the twigs of a bird’s nest. ‘Yes, they’re beautiful in terms of color and complexity but at the same time they’re haunting,’ says Mathes.
’Collages: Wings in the Net Forest,’ which showcases nine of her delicate collages dating from the 1980s and 1990s. Pictured: Repetitive Vision, 1996
Pictured: Bird,1980
Mathes points out, ‘Kasuma was in daily contact with Joseph Cornell and no less than that creator of Surreal magical boxes gifted Kusama his collage materials right before his untimely death in 1972.’ Pictured: In Forest, 1995
All produced while she was in Japan, her other collages feature birds, sea creatures and insects. Pictured: Bird,1981
The colour tones, from a brilliant blue to an emerald green, are radiant. Pictured: Mantis, 1981
The forms are also intricately depicted, right down to the twigs of a bird’s nest. Pictured: Bird, 1980
INFORMATION
‘Yayoi Kusama Collages: Wings in the Net Forest’ is on show until 9 January 2016
ADDRESS
Barbara Mathes Gallery
22 East 80th Street
New York
-
Peek inside Uchronia’s celadon green suite at the Mandarin Oriental Hyde ParkThe Paris-based studio teamed up with Pantone to transform a suite at the storied hotel into an aquatic dreamscape. Here’s how to check in
-
This legendary villa was built for the Cuban government. Now it’s The Future Perfect’s new Miami galleryWith Villa Paula, the boundary-pushing collectible design gallery expands its footprint
-
Hassan Hajjaj's vibrant portraits put Moroccan women at the centre of the storyFor more than three decades, the visual artist has been making portraits that centre Moroccan culture, albeit through a subversive lens. Now, an exhibition in Toronto explores the sporty facet of his portraits
-
Out of office: the Wallpaper* editors’ picks of the weekAs we approach Frieze, our editors have been trawling the capital's galleries. Elsewhere: a 'Wineglass' marathon, a must-see film, and a visit to a science museum
-
June Leaf’s New York survey captures a life in motionJune Leaf made art in many forms for over seven decades, with an unstoppable energy and fierce appetite leading her to rationalise life in her own terms.
-
Jamel Shabazz’s photographs are a love letter to Prospect ParkIn a new book, ‘Prospect Park: Photographs of a Brooklyn Oasis, 1980 to 2025’, Jamel Shabazz discovers a warmer side of human nature
-
The Hammer Museum in Los Angeles launches the seventh iteration of its highly anticipated artist biennialOne of the gallery's flagship exhibitions, Made in LA showcases the breadth and depth of the city's contemporary art scene
-
Inside a Courtney Love-inspired art exhibition in New YorkLiza Jo Eilers looks to the glory days of Hole at an exhibition at Grimm New York
-
Thomas Prior’s photography captures the uncanny fragility of American lifeA new book unites two decades of the photographer’s piercing, uneasy work
-
Apple unveils its next-gen camera in a powerful new photography exhibitionThe new iPhone 17 Pro Max takes centre stage in a New York exhibition where artists Inez & Vinoodh, Mickalene Thomas, and Trunk Xu explore the theme of joy
-
Central Park’s revitalised Delacorte Theater gears up for a new futureEnnead Architects helmed an ambitious renovation process that has given the New York City cultural landmark a vibrant and more accessible future
