Annotated Bibliography

Yayoi Kusama

‘Aggregation: One Thousand Boat Show,’ 1963

Sewn stuffed fabric, wooden rowboat, paint; 999 silkscreen images on paper.

Boat, 265x130x60cm,

Installation dimensions variable on reconstruction.

Heartney, Eleanor. Art & Today, London: Phaidon Press Limited, 2008.

The chapter, ‘Art and Architecture’ explores how art has been encompassed by the built world. Traditionally, architecture is a design process that ensures buildings with structural longevity, the realisation of which relies on financial capability. In this regard, architects historically tended to stick with conventions. Yayoi Kusama contests these conventions with her embrace of art within the confines of a built environment.  

Although this chapter doesn’t cover Yayoi Kusama’s work directly it has provided me with an better understanding of art and its relationship to architecture. Through Heartney’s extensive referencing of artist and their works surrounding architecture, I was able to identify Kusamas incorporation of architecture within her art practice.

Gautherot, Franck; Guldemond, Jaap. ‘Yayoi Kusama Mirrored Years,’ France: Les Presses Du Reel, 2009.

This book encapsulates Yayoi Kusama’s retrospective exhibition ‘Mirrored Years.’ The exhibition displayed her early works, attitudes and strategies from her period in New York in the 1960s. More recent work that Kusamas continues to produce today were also on display. ‘Mirrored Years’ captured the many elements of Kusamas work, highlighting in detail her main attributes and conceptual intentions. This book allowed me to recognize Kusamas connection to architecture through her alteration of the gallery space in order to reach the full conceptual potential of her works. In ‘Mirrored Years,’ Kusama created controlled environments where the spectator became fully immersed in her world.

Hoptman, Laura; Tatehata, Akira; Kultermann, Udo. ‘Yayoi Kusama,’ London: Phaidon Press Limited, 2000.

This book captures Yayoi Kusama’s full biography and body of work up until 2000. The opening chapter is an extensive interview of ‘Akira Tatehata in Conversation with Yayoi Kusama.’ The interview highlights Kusama's cheerful personality as she discusses heartfelt topics of her childhood and later mental concerns. This interview helped me understand Kusama not only as an artist but as a person. The hallucinations that she experienced as a child have become the inspiration for much of her work.
The book leads into a focus on Kusama by Udo Kultermann called 'Driving Images.' Kultermann discusses the significance in Kusama's multifaceted work that expands in numerous directions and perpetuates basic human concerns.

Ellwood, Tony, GoMA Director. ‘Look Now See Forever’, Brisbane, 2011, http://interactive.qag.qld.gov.au/looknowseeforever/introduction/  (accessed May 1, 2012).

The Gallery of Modern Art housed the exhibition of Yayoi Kusama titled ‘Look Now see Forever.’ The exhibition has a diverse collection of Kusama’s work, its stand out pieces being her interactive installation of ‘The Obliteration Room.’ This website enhanced my appreciation of Kusama’s relationship with architecture through its comprehensive review of ‘The Obliteration Room.’ The website explains that in this piece, Kusama again plays on the accepted conventions of our built world. The room is regular in every other way apart from its colour. By manipulating this one element of a usual architectural setting, normality is played upon. Spontaneity,  irregularity and uniqueness is celebrated.