Yayoi Kusama and Narcissus Garden

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Yayoi Kusama, Narcissus Garden. 1966.
(Image from Daily Art Magazine)

Artist Background

  Yayoi Kusama was born in 1929 in Matsumoto, Japan. Though she was born into a wealthy family, she had a distressing childhood. Her mother and father endured an unhappy, unfit arranged marriage and from a young age, Kusama was instructed by her mother to spy on her fathers affairs with other women. Her mother was emotionally and physically abusive towards her. Needless to say, much of her childhood had left her with trauma and issues with her mental health throughout her life. She began to experience hallucinations around age 10, which sparked the beginning of her experimentation with art. She studied art in Japan and later moved to New York City in the late 1950's because she felt Japanese culture and society limited her artistic expression. She is mostly known as a contemporary artist, however, her work is so influential and extraordinary that I felt the need to write about her and her artwork that existed within the dates of the modern art period. Most of her art is sculpture and installation art, which is "large scale, mixed-media constructions" as described in this Tate article. 
    
Artwork Background

    One of Kusama's most notable pieces of installation art is Narcissus Garden. It was originally displayed at the 33rd Venice Biennale in 1966. It shows 1,500 silver, reflective globes, constructed close to one another. Viewers of the piece see a reflection of themselves in the globes upon examination. Though the piece has been displayed at different locations, each time it is usually outside. When Kusama originally displayed Narcissus Garden, she stood amongst the globes and sold them for $2 a piece to any interested passerby. She also had signs that stated "Your Narcissism for Sale" and "Narcissus Garden, Kusama" according to art historian Danielle Shang on Khan Academy. Shang stated that Narcissus Garden is "interpreted by many as both Kusama's self-promotion and her protest of the commercialization of art." 

Installation of Narcissus Garden in Connecticut
(Image from artsy.net)

Analysis

  An important aspect of the piece is the Greek myth behind the title. Narcissus was a figure in Greek Mythology that was obsessed with his own beauty. The myth follows that one day, upon looking at this reflection in a river, he became so enamored with the reflection that he accidentally drowned. The myth seems to show that obsession with one's looks or vanity is consequential and damaging for an individual. 

   In a roundabout way, I believe this relates to Kusama's protest of the commercialization of art. Instead of focusing on what message(s) art has or what we can learn from art, so many people within the art world have become more concerned with what financial gain or status art can provide. There is greater concern for superficial gains than deeper, meaningful gains through the commercialization of art. This is ultimately a more selfish way of approaching art and it's value, which connects to the selfishness of Narcissus. I also speculate that, if this connection between Narcissus and commercialization is correct, Kusama makes the case that art cannot survive through commercialization alone. Just like Narcissus' eventual drowning, art too will die if the value of meaning is lost and its' financial value becomes its' sole purpose for existence.

    Narcissus Garden is also unique in that the viewer is a part of the art. Though the piece as a whole can be viewed from a distance, the message, as indicated through the title, cannot exist without the viewer being involved. This may make viewers feel something more than any other painting or sculpture; it is a piece that causes reflection of one's physical self but, with the context of the title, may cause reflection of one's self-image, a much deeper concept. This is what I believe separates Kusama from so many others - her installation art makes the viewer become a part of the art, which is an extremely unique experience. Many more of her installation pieces have gone on to be more publicly recognized, like her mirror room installations which can be seen here. Kusama's art boomed in the contemporary art movement and has influenced other sub-genres of art like pop art and minimalism. Though created during the end of the modern art period, Narcissus Garden is an example of the beginning of the transition to contemporary art, which is marked by innovation and elimination of boundaries.

 Reader Questions: What do you think about Narcissus Garden? Does installation art work better for this message than a more traditional format like painting or sculpture?

Other Sources Used

Yayoi Kusama Biography on The Art Story
    

    


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