modern art

Takashi Murakami: The Land of The Dead

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From November 10th, 2014 to January 17th, 2015, the Gagosian gallery on 24th between 10th and 11th will be exhibiting Takasahi Murakami's latest collection called: The Land of the Dead. This series was a direct response to the most recent tsunami that hit Japan in 2011. He explores elements of death in a non-cynical but cheery way. The colors of this series are vibrant—consistent with his usual style. He speaks about death in a satirical humorous manner through his signature super flat style. The last Murakami exhibit I saw was at Versailles back in 2010. 

One question that arose during my visit was Murakami's technique. My friends and I debated over whether his works were painted or printed? Some pieces gave clues that they may have been painted due to the texture and depth. Other pieces were very flat and gave us the impression that he may have created the art digitally and printed different layers and pasted them on top of each other. 

After stalking Takashi Murakami's personal Instagram account, he hinted that in fact his works were first painted with acrylic, then spray painted through filters. Although I am not 100% sure, it is reasonable to assume he uses a combination of traditional acrylic paint, spray paint, and a cut & paste technique.

I quite enjoyed this exhibit as it was able to make me momentarily forget that I was in Manhattan and take me to another place. I felt like I entered the world of a classic Studio Ghibli film such as Spirited Away or Princess Mononoke. The demons and spirits used in his works resemble classic Japanese mythical creatures. Aside from his beautiful works of art, one interesting piece was a replicated temple that sits in the middle of the exhibit. I believe it was a portal or entrance to the land of the dead.

Jeff Koons

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Jeff Koons: A Retrospective at the Whitney Museum

June 27, 2014 - Oct 19, 2014

Now at Centre Pompidou in Paris from November 26, 2014 to April 27, 2015

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Currently at the Whitney Museum of American Arts, situated in the upper east side on 75th and Madison from June 27th to October 19th 2014. Jeff Koons is the first artist to occupy the most space at the Whitney. Five floors are dedicated to his works throughout the years.

One of the best exhibits I have seen and a personal favorite. I was not too familiar with his works prior to the exhibit, aside from the famous balloon dog. His sculptures and exhibits are clean cut and well portrayed. His huge emphasis on precision and detail are shown in his works. I like his take on readymades and found objects, especially his "infatables" and "the new series" series, he was able to take such ordinary day-to-day objects and rebrand them into something nostalgic, beautiful and add value. His "luxury and degradation" series was also very impressive, he again utilizes the found objects and turns them into something extraordinary, a simple stainless steal coating changed the perception of these objects entirely. They became desirable and anything but ordinary. He almost takes a backwards approach of the original surrealist concept of a found object, in that, the mysterious object in its original found state is the marvel, but once you figure out its purpose, it no longer is extraordinary. But Jeff Koons takes the ordinary found object and turns it into something extraordinary.

What I really enjoyed about his work is the cleanness and professionalism. Most modern art these days in my opinion are overly cynical about the present and loses the traditional emphasis of a beautiful work of art, but Jeff Koons is able to incorporate his social commentaries in an aesthetically pleasing manner.