The Arts of Elizabeth Murray and Yayoi Kusama - Essay Example

The supposed dead end of painting during the earlier decades of the 20th century was enlivened by new styles and techniques inspired by the avant-garde concept of Yayoi Kusama and the Surrealist and Post-Minimalist version of Murray. Yayoi Kusama stirred a whole discovery in painting that cropped up from leveling usual painting methods up such as repeating patterns to create an “infinity” or “unending” effect on the final output. Although both unveiled themselves in the painting world at different times, it can be observed that both have used a similar approach to their artworks and that is “innovation.”

Yayoi Kusama’s art embraces almost all forms of media: painting, film, drawing, sculpture, performance, and immersive installation (Tate, n.d.). Her paintings and drawings are heavily inspired by her psychiatric condition. The views that she creates in her every artwork evoke a sense of escaping from a “psychological trauma” (Tate, n.d.). This is probably the reason why Kusama utilizes a technique that utilizes the repetition of dot patterns, creating an infinite transition; an unending space. Her sculptures are also relatively indicative of her obsession with polka dots and the desire to escape from psychological trauma. Yayoi embodied this innovative approach through walk-in mirror rooms and freestanding sculptures (one particular example is the Passing Winter, which produces an abysmal effect of recurring, duplicating patterns (usually polka dots), that mystically appeal to the viewers (Whitney Museum of American Art, 2013).

The relationship between the artworks of Yayoi Kusama and her psychological condition can be traced through these abysmal effects on her sculptures and paintings. The patterns and shapes multiplied by the mirror provide her with an infinite space to break out or run away from her mental condition. The boundless impression created by the repeating polka dot patterns inside a walk-in mirror room may have given Yayoi a chance to hide or run for her safety. The key concepts for most of her sculptures and paintings are “escape” and “infinity”. Yayoi is the epitome of a unique, avant-garde artist who exemplified the beauty of innovative artistry through her method: repetition of patterns.

Another artist who has made a tremendous mark in the painting world is Elizabeth Murray. Obviously, she employs a completely different approach yet still fits into the concept of innovative painting in that the materials that she uses are all but traditional; however, the magic draws from the revolutionary method and style that she implements in all her artworks. Even the objects in her paintings are not abstract but are indirect representations of common things such as cups, drawers, utensils, chairs, and tables (Art21, 2012). However, the style is largely based on combining shapes of different forms, even those with irregular or unidentified forms. By and large, Murray’s paintings are inspired by comic books and cartoons (Lacayo, 2007); nevertheless, she did not incorporate this inspiration plainly into her art but instead interlocked her memories of Disney characters into every work that she does (Lacayo, 2007). Looking at all her artworks, one can see that Abstract Expressionism emanates from among them, that is, while they do not directly represent something, they tease something similar. Also, this teasing stirs a mental provocation on the part of the viewer to think critically about what those semi-abstract images mean.

One of the most fascinating traits of Murray was her total deviance from what is usual and standard. The materials that she used were far from traditional and ordinary. Instead of using a standard rectangular canvas, she went for support shapes like “thunderbolts, clouds or shapes-with-no-name” that she would incorporate into complex puzzles (Lacayo, 2007). Her canvases are multi-paneled, which is indicative of her style of combining canvases to create unusual shapes and forms (Smith, 2007). Read More