Aftermath of Obliteration of Eternity
- Aftermath of Obliteration of Eternity
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Expanding upon
her lifelong obsession with the dissolution of the self into the infinite,
Yayoi Kusama created “Aftermath of Obliteration
of Eternity” the year of her 80th birthday. Viewers are invited to step
into the room and stand on the central platform. Over time a delicate,
shimmering mirage unfolds, as an array of lights ignites and is mirrored on
every surface of the all-encompassing environment. In less than a minute,
however, all light disappears, and then the cycle starts anew.
Kusama
explains: “Life is what I always try to understand—its depths and its
mystique of rise and fall. I struggle for it throughout my life. From day to
day, I understand the greatness brought by this mystique as well as that love
is eternal and keeps appearing and disappearing. And what is more, I am very
pleased to be alive after realizing that I have overcome this everyday life and
been able to reach today. Yet we keep flashing, disappearing, and again
blossoming out in this Eternity.”
ProvenanceThe artist; [David Zwirner Gallery, New York]; purchased by MFAH, 2016.
Exhibition History"Yayoi Kusama," Gagosian Gallery, New York, April 16–June 27, 2009.
"Yayoi Kusama: I Want to Live Forever," Padiglione d’Arte Contemporanea, Milan, November 28, 2009–February 14, 2010.
"Kusama: At the End of the Universe," The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, June 12–September 18, 2016.
"Immersed: Local to Global Art Sensations," McNay Art Museum, San Antonio, June 7–September 2, 2018.
Published References Yayoi Kusama (New York: Gagosian Gallery, April 16 – June 27, 2009); exhibition catalogue with essays by Louise Neri, Midori Yamamura, and Robert Nickas; discussed pp. 54-58, illustrated. Jody B. Cutler, “The Kusama Myth,” Artnet (May 28, 2009), illustrated. http://www.artnet.com/magazineus/features/cutler/yayoi-kusama5-28-09.asp Catherine Taft, “Yayoi Kusama: Gagosian Gallery,” Artforum 48, no. 2 (October 2009): 247 Laura Hoptman et al., Yayoi Kusama: I Want to Live Forever (Milan: Padiglione d’Arte Contemporanea, November 28, 2009–February 14, 2010); discussed pp. 104–107; illustrated. Rachel Spence, “Yayoi Kusama: PAC, Milan,” Financial Times (January 7, 2010) http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/c402f95c-fae9-11de-94d8-00144feab49a.html Rachel Corbett, “Yayoi Kusama: The Last Word,” Artnet (February 15, 2012), illustrated. http://www.artnet.com/magazineus/books/corbett/yayoi-kusama-autobiography-2-15-12.asp Louise Neri, Takaya Goto et al., Yayoi Kusama (New York: Rizzoli, 2012), 186, illustrated 212-13. Laura Levin, Performing Ground: Space, Camouflage and the Art of Blending In (New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2014), illustrated page 249. Greene, Alison de Lima. "Asia Through Contemporary Eyes: Highlights from the Collections of the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston," Arts of Asia, "The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston: Ancient and Modern Asian Art," vol. 46, no. 6 (November-December 2016): illus. cat. 5, p. 130.
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