Known as the Warhol of Japan, Takashi Murakami is a thought-provoking Japanese artist who effortlessly merges fine art with anime and manga cartoons. Murakami’s carreer started back in the ’90s, when he invented an art theory called “Superflat” which mixes high and low art - the essence of Mr.Murakami’s work: he explores the ways in which mass-produced consumerism becomes integral part of art.
The massive “©Murakami” retrospective opens in New York on Saturday, and will include circa 90 of Murakami’s works, spacing from paintings, wallpapers, sculptures, drawings to videos. Many of his famous characters - Mr. DOB, Tongari-kun aka Mr. Pointy, Kaikai and Kiki - will be the main focus of the show.
There will also be a Louis Vuitton shop selling some of Murakami’s creations - back in 2003 Murakami and the luxury brand teamed up to create pop versions of the classic LV monogram handbags.
Paul Schimmel, chief curator of the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles where Murakami’s last exhibit had a huge success, is also supervising the Brooklyn Museum’s retrospective. The show opens on Saturday through July 5 at the Brooklyn Museum, 200 Eastern Parkway, at Prospect Park.
In the picture: “Kaikai and Kiki” © Takashi Murakami
“In metal I have found a medium that I can sculpt, mark, and mold into beautifully organic and dramatic forms. I draw on my background in drawing, etching, glasswork, and painting to create wearable art that is both sensual and theatrical.”
Looking for unique accessories to add spark and sophistication to a look we’re creating for a client, I’ve found an incredible artist. Christy Klug
’s work has been inspired by her early interest in stained glass design, which she studied at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, MA. She was drawn to the work of the stained glass artists in post-World War II Germany, who revolutionized the medium by elevating the structural function of the lead lines into artistic elements.
Designing jewelry allowed her to personalize the artistic process, and to achieve a dramatic, aesthetic effect of the lead lines by hand cutting them into the metal, leaving a negative space where the glass had been.
Christy aims to create jewelry that has a sense of balance, simplicity, and elegance. Each piece is crafted by hand, so that her touch becomes part of the work.
Christy Klug Handmade Jewelry is available at The Guild
to see more of Christy’s work, go to page 2
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Mobile Art is a travelling exhibition set up in a futuristic pavilion, the Chanel Contemporary Art Container, designed by Zaha Hadid and commissioned by Karl Lagerfeld. The Art Container, wich covers an area of 700 square meters, is divided into a central spaces and an open terrace that links interior and exterior.
The interior reveals works that interprets Chanel icon by some of the leading international artists such as Sophie Calle, Yoko Ono, Wim Delvoye, Lee Bul. The trip around the world starts in Hong Kong in January 2008 and will touch down in Tokyo, Newl York, Los Angeles, and Moscow, ending in 2010 in Paris.
