Yayoi Kusama, "Flowers That Bloom at Midnight M2," 2009, fiberglass-reinforced plastic,
metal and all-weather urethane paint, 71 1/4 x 71 1/4 x 105 1/2 inches.
Photo by Douglas M. Parker Studio
Even Yayoi Kusama’s trademark dots in vivid red, bouncing along the entry corridor wall, are insufficient to prepare viewers for the exhilarating “Alice in Wonderland” meets the “Little Shop of Horrors” sensation awaiting them once they turn the corner into the main gallery. A fabricated garden composed of full-bodied, fiberglass reinforced plastic sculptures tower up to sixteen feet above the floor. Brightly patterned flowers, leaves and stems arch into space, vying for attention with five densely textured paintings built up with overlapping loops of color that are positioned on the surrounding walls. One more painting hangs in the small side gallery. Glimpses of its painted surface play off endlessly inside a mirrored sculptural cube entitled “Passing Winter,” elevated on a glass base. Circles perforate each side of the mirrored cube, offering a vision of infinity to those curious enough to peer inside. Although smaller and more portable than Kusama’s famed reflective walk-in installations, it’s packed with the power to mesmerize.
Published courtesy of ArtScene
