Takashi Murakami: The Meaning Of The Nonsense Of The Meaning
CCS Bard Galleries
Amada Cruz
Dana Friis-Hansen
The Meaning of the Nonsense Of The Meaning was the subject of first comprehensive museum show of Japanese artist Takashi Murakami’s work and included rarely seen early work and his most recent large-scale sculptures and paintings. Murakami finds influence for his work in images from both historical Japanese traditions and current Japanese popular culture. He borrows from Japanese cartoons, (manga), animation (anime) and cute promotional characters for much of the imagery. He exaggerates these figures to the point of vulgarity in works that are both tour de force of the grotesque and wry political commentaries on the imagery promoted by marketers and advertisers in Japan.