Thursday, June 23, 2011

Homage to Yayoi Kusama

Homage 2
Acrylic and Gouache on paper
9" x 12"
$85.

With this painting I’m continuing the series that I started at the Everson 60/60.….so I suppose I should explain a little where the ideas came from :)

It all started with my friend Richard Castellane. In the early 60’s he bought a few pieces in the net series from a struggling young artist in his gallery named Yayoi Kusama. One of the pieces hung over his sofa and as I would speak to Richard, my eyes would always stray to it. I realized how fond I had become of it when he sold it and I wasn’t able to visit it any more.

Kusama was interested in the spots; they create an interesting and vibrant image. Personally I liked the spaces around the spots,; they seem to suggest the movement of some of my favorite Op Artists, specifically Victor Vasarely, and Bridget Riley. Vasereli’s art gives the illusion of being 3-d on the canvas and Riley’s line paintings appear to move. In painting my homage, I tried to incorporate a little of all of the above :)

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