January 2007
Polka Dot Obsession
“Obliterate the men of Wall Street with polka dots on their naked bodies!” “Polka dots have taught me the proof of my existence.” “When Kusama paints your body with polka dots, you will become a part of the unity of the universe.” After reading Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama’s descriptions of her work, one might not be too surprised to hear that she has chosen to live in a psychiatric hospital since 1974. Though she has worked for decades, the artist has recently drawn acclaim for her slightly crazy polka-dotted sculptures, paintings, and video installations. (MOMA presented a retrospective of her work in 1998.) More than just an aesthetic habit, polka dots are Kusama’s means of robbing her subjects of their uniqueness. The Haus der Kunst will host an installation by Kusama from February 9 to May 6, called “Dots Obsession, Love Transformed into Dots.”
