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Lot Essay
This lot may be exempt from sales tax as set forth in the Sales Tax Notice at the back of this catalogue.
Donald Judd was such an important force in contemporary sculpture that his influential art criticism has sometimes been overlooked, or at least, underappreciated. He cogently wrote about, and championed, a wide-range of artists, from Modern artists to Abstract Expressionists and the young contemporary artists of his time.
Kusama's singular and uncompromising vision, one in which she re-invigorated Abstract Expressionism, combined sculpture and painting, and pioneered performance art, was immediately recognized by Judd as important. He covered her exhibitions on many occasions, including the following excerpted review of a show which included paintings, similar to the present lot.
"Yayoi Kusama is an original painter. The five white, very large paintings in this show are strong, advanced in concept and realized. The space is shallow, close to the surface and achieved by innumerable small arcs superimposed on a black ground overlain with a wash of white. The effect is both complex and simple. Essentially it is produced by the interaction of the two close, somewhat parallel, vertical panes, at points merging at the surface plan and at others diverging slightly by powerfully. The total quality suggests an analogy to a large fragile, but vigorously carved grill or to a massive solid lace. The expression transcends the question of whether it is Oriental or American. Although it is something for both, certainly of such Americans as Rothko, Still and Newman, it is not at all a synthesis and is throughout independent. Miss Kusama, who is thirty, has had a number of shows in Kyoto and came here two years ago" (D. Judd, Art News, October 1959).
Donald Judd was such an important force in contemporary sculpture that his influential art criticism has sometimes been overlooked, or at least, underappreciated. He cogently wrote about, and championed, a wide-range of artists, from Modern artists to Abstract Expressionists and the young contemporary artists of his time.
Kusama's singular and uncompromising vision, one in which she re-invigorated Abstract Expressionism, combined sculpture and painting, and pioneered performance art, was immediately recognized by Judd as important. He covered her exhibitions on many occasions, including the following excerpted review of a show which included paintings, similar to the present lot.
"Yayoi Kusama is an original painter. The five white, very large paintings in this show are strong, advanced in concept and realized. The space is shallow, close to the surface and achieved by innumerable small arcs superimposed on a black ground overlain with a wash of white. The effect is both complex and simple. Essentially it is produced by the interaction of the two close, somewhat parallel, vertical panes, at points merging at the surface plan and at others diverging slightly by powerfully. The total quality suggests an analogy to a large fragile, but vigorously carved grill or to a massive solid lace. The expression transcends the question of whether it is Oriental or American. Although it is something for both, certainly of such Americans as Rothko, Still and Newman, it is not at all a synthesis and is throughout independent. Miss Kusama, who is thirty, has had a number of shows in Kyoto and came here two years ago" (D. Judd, Art News, October 1959).