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Super Kawaii: New Japanese Art in the City
By
Jen Chung
Published Apr 7, 2005
Modified Mar 7, 2008
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By
Jen Chung
Published Apr 7, 2005
Modified Mar 7, 2008
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Tomorrow is the official opening of the Japan Society exhibit, Little Boy: The Arts of Japan’s Exploding Subculture. The show will focus "on the phenomenally influential subcultures of otaku (roughly translated as "pop cult fanaticism") and its relationships to Japan's artistic vanguard." In other words, there are adorable yet disturbing works. Takashi Murakami, international pop artist of the moment, curated the show, and has been the center of last weekend's New York Times magazine feature about Japanese modern art (which was also a primer in key Japanese words, like kawaii aka cute) and yesterday's Times art feature about the Central Park Public Art Fund work. The Public Art Fund work, V W X Yellow Elephant Underwear/H I J Kiddy Elephant Underwear, was designed by one of artists in Murakami's stable, Chinatsu Ban. It reminds Gothamist of Louis Bourgeouis's Mommy and Baby Spiders meets Jeff Koon's Puppy. We must say, we adores the elephants in underwear. And Gothamist loves how the NY Times had a picture of the elephant's heart-decorated, fiberglass poo. The elephants are at Fifth Avenue and 60th Street.
Gothamist on Murakami's Mr. Pointy at Rockefeller Center.
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Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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