In the Land of the Dead, Stepping on the Tail of a Rainbow
Acrylic on canvas, 2014
TAKASHI MURAKAMI
by Nguyet Nguyen
Nicknamed “the Warhol of Japan,” fifty-seven years old Takashi Murakami is well-known for his contemporary pop fusion of the fine art and popular culture. Murakami earned his BA, MFA, and Ph.D. from Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music in traditional Nihonga painting. Aside from paintings, Murakami has also collaborated with A-list celebrities and luxurious fashion brands; many of us probably recognize the “Dropout” Bear on Kanye West’s “Graduation” album or the cute cherry cartoons printed on Louis Vuitton bags, all of which are Murakami’s work. His work also extends to commercialized products such as t-shirts, toys, and keychains. When asked to describe his work, Murakami coined the term “Superflat,” which combines different elements such as the flatness of digital graphic, the bold color palette of Japanese anime, and traditional Japanese block prints, or ukiyo-e. Many of painting works are done with acrylic on different types of canvas. “Superflat” became a popular Japanese contemporary art movement in the early 2000s and garnered extraordinary attention from many young Japanese contemporary artists. To further spread the “Superflat” movement, Murakami’s art production company, Kaikai Kiki Co., Ltd., represents and promotes the works of many other Japanese artists all over the world. Murakami has proven himself to be a significant figure in the pop contemporary art movement in Asia in the twenty-first century thus becomes a valuable artist to our gallery, Pop Art Through the Ages.
The first of Murakami’s work that is featured in this gallery is “In the Land of the Dead, Stepping on the Tail of a Rainbow.” This massive eighty-two-foot-long acrylic on canvas painting is currently on display at the Broad museum in Los Angeles, California. The painting reflects the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and portrays an animated landscape populated with spiritual figures withstanding an enormous tsunami. The painting is inspired by the work of a nineteenth-century artist Kano Kazunobu, who created a large grouping of monumental scrolls conjuring the five hundred arhats of Buddha’s teaching after the Ansei Edo earthquake in 1855. I got a chance to view this painting in person over the summer at the museum. It took up nearly two walls and was impossible to capture all the details at once. When looking at the painting, I recognized the spiritual beings, despite their cartoonish alter egos, often talked about in Buddhism texts. The painting emitted a sense of hope accompanied by the catastrophic event, bright colors contrasting the chaotic, dim abstractions. This painting encompassing many “Superflat” features such as the animated styles of Japanese spiritual figures, a contemporary blend of popular culture and fine art elements and a perfect fit for our gallery.
Of Chinese Lions, Peonies, Skull, and Fountains
Acrylic on canvas stretch on wooden panel, 2011
Another painting of Murakami that features traditional Japanese spiritual elements is “Of Chinese Lions, Peonies, Skull, and Fountains.” The lion is a mythical creature that guards the Buddhist temples against evil spirits, depicted by the neon skulls. Peony is one of Murakami’s ionic objects that is featured in many of his works. In this particular, the lion figure is placed at the center with skulls streaming away from it, averting evil. Unlike most traditional Japanese portrayals of evil spirits that are often dark and depressing, Murakami illustrates evil from another perspective using jarring neon colors such as in “End of Line.” Combinations of folklore mythical creatures and bright cartoon styles once again define characteristics of the “Superflat” movement, and more specifically Murakami’s vision.
End of Line
Acrylic on canvas mounted on board, 2011.
Heavily influenced by the Japanese anime culture, it is no surprise that many of Murakami’s works feature his own anime character creations. One of the earlier characters created by the artist is Tan Tan Bo in 2001, a floating phantom face spitting out phlegm from its mouth. A reincarnation of Tan Tan Bo named Gerotan, who appears to writhe while vomiting, was created shortly after in 2002. Although these characters are believed to be inspired by Murakami’s favorite manga character as a child by Mizuki Shigeru, the phantom faces also reflect Murakami’s personal anxiety regarding the nuclear power development and pressure of his internationally expanding career. “Tan Tan Bo A.k.A Gerotan: Scorched by the Blaze in the Purgatory of Knowledge,” acrylic on canvas mounted on board is created in 2018 illustrates both of these characters. The neon color palette and swirly stroke of the painting give off a psychedelic feel to the viewers. Many “Superflat” elements are once again recognized in this work, the anime influence combined with bright neon colors to reflect the artist’s view on social issues. Other anime characters created by Murakami are Kaikai Kiki, a happy flower with colorful petals, as featured in “Hustle’n’Punch by Kaikai Kiki. Kaikai Kiki is an iconic and probably most recognized character of Marukami’s creations that has been sold internationally in various forms of commercialized products. Many of Murakami's arts, including those that are showcased in this gallery, can be viewed for free at the Broad museum in Los Angeles.
Tan Tan Bo A.k.A Gerotan: Scorched by the Blaze in the Purgatory of Knowledge
Acrylic on canvas mounted to board, 2018.
Hustle’n’Punch by Kaikai and Kiki
Acrylic and platinum leaf on canvas mounted on aluminum frame, 2009.