Yayoi Kusama Analysis

The art world has certainly evolved throughout history: from prehistoric to religious forms, from commemorative to propaganda forms, they all revolve around one’s perception of what is worthy of importance. Yet, they all have a common goal, to invoke an emotion or meaning for the viewer. These are only an example, and certainly not all-inclusive. Yet, technology is always changing, and just like culture and society, so has the world of art. Modern and contemporary art are both the results of one’s surroundings, and while form and context may vary, if one looks within the depths of their subconscious, one witnesses the similarities between the two. Jackson Pollock and Yayoi Kusama are two such artists.
Pollock was known as an abstract impressionist
Of particular interest is his portrait labeled Number 1A, created in 1948 (Pollock). As with modernism, Pollock focused on the aspect of experimentation, and as the vague title suggests, the
Kusama is known for being obsessed with repetition and patterns, one such project of hers is called Infinity Mirrored Room - The Souls of Millions of Light Years Away (Sneek). She uses a 3D approach for her art, filling a room with lights and mirrors. I think her obsessiveness mirrors that of Pollock, while he focused on the continuation of lines, she brings it one-step future by encompassing the entirety of a room with her choice of a medium. In each instance, one is engulfed: either by the movement of their eyes that following the various varieties of lines or by being physically surrounded in a room by lights and mirrors. One’s sensory system is submerged into the psychic world of the artist. Kusama admits her art is based on her own hallucinations (WAC). Without question, the content of both works brings the viewer into the subconscious mind of both artists. Yet, both leave room for personal interpretation, for perception can only be defined on a personal level, especially within the world of