The Asia Society presents Yoshitomo Nara's 「NOBODY'S FOOL」

 

Welcome to the world of wide-eyed little girls and stray dogs - Welcome to Yoshitomo Nara's exhibit at The Asia Society gallery, Nobody's Fool. Last Wednesday I had the chance to view this amazing exhibit before it's opening on Thursday September 9th. 

The experience begins before even setting foot inside the museum. The giant white statue (right) sits across the street from The Asia Society. "White Ghost", as it is titled, comes in a twin set, with its sister sitting just three blocks down on 67th and Park, across the street from where the Open Studio was held.

Nobody's Fool is divided into 4 different rooms spread out among 2 floors - the first exhibit to dominate all the gallery space at The Asia Society. I'd like to take the time now to give you a taste of Yoshitomo Nara's exhibit, highlighting what I felt were some of the more prominent features. 


Loneliness is the most prevalent theme in Mr. Nara's work.
The innocent subjects portrayed in his work are often painted alone against a plain colored background (a part of his style).  Their dream like gazes and straight lined mouths often make you wonder, "What are they thinking about?" Yoshitomo Nara drew inspiration for many of his pieces from his childhood, where unsurprisingly we find Mr. Nara often felt lonely.  Even in his later work he continues with this theme.

                       "Gone With The Cloud" 2004                       "The Little Star Dweller" 2006

"It's Better To Burn Out" 1996

It'd be difficult to ignore the great influence that music has played in Yoshitomo Nara's artistic and personal life. Many of his pieces are titled after songs or lyrics from his favorite bands or artists. He has even created album art for Japanese artists like Shonen Knife (below) and The Star Club.  The preferences in music are apparent throughout his artwork going from rebellious punk rock to a more pensive blues flavor.

Some of you may recognize this quote from Kurt Cobain's suicide letter, but it was taken from the song "My My Hey Hey" - Neil Young .  Although he uses this quote in this piece, Nara stated that he disagrees with it and feels that one should "live in the moment".

"Happy Hour" 1998

To my surprise one of the pieces was titled "M.J." According to the description, it was a portrait of the King of Pop before his death last summer. I still laugh to myself when I remember the old woman who passed by the painting and commented to her friend, "The little girl in the painting is so cute". Couldn't have said it better myself, ma'am. If you get a chance to see this piece I'm sure you too will be as amused and confused as I was.

The exhibit's installation/collaboration pieces like "Untitled" (formerly known as "Home"), "Doors" and the 2nd floor gallery titled "Drawing Room" created great interactive settings which allowed certain pieces to be viewed in a specific atmosphere, often giving Mr. Nara's artwork a deeper meaning. 

Sprinkled in are random sketches and handwritten poems of Mr. Nara's on graph paper and used envelopes.  I really enjoyed these personal touches of spontaneous creativity. Among his paintings, you'll find Mr. Nara's sculptures, ceramic pieces, and statues as well.

 Yoshitomo Nara's perspective of the world around him is creative and refreshing. Although I was left with an overwhelming sense of sadness in my sympathy for the star-gazing innocent in the paintings, the exhibit was altogether inspiring, and I'd recommend a visit before its end on January 2nd. Many upcoming events, including a Shonen Knife concert, coordinate with the exhibit and I would take advantage of these days to get the most out of your trip there. 

To learn more about ticket prices and museum hours visit the official page for NOBODY'S FOOL.

Check out my Flickr and Tumblr for more pictures of Nara's work. 

Stay tuned for a giveaway at the end of this month! Details and video coming soon! 

Ciao. 

La Tenoli