The figure I have chosen to
research is Tadanori Yokoo, who is one of Japan’s most successful and
internationally recognized designers, and is a influential figure of Japanese
pop art. Yokoo is a multi-faceted artist, working in design, printmaking, installation, and illustration
for over 50 years before famously retiring in 1981 to pursue painting after
seeing a Picasso retrospective at the MOMA. His work is instantly recognizable
and distinctive, incorporating elements of psychedelia, kitsch, science
fiction, mysticism, pop art, and a mix of highbrow and lowbrow Japanese
aesthetics, from the Ukiyo-e to manga. Despite the disparity of his resources,
Yokoo’s work remains precisely constructed, mystical yet also deeply personal,
often communicating his experience through the lens of popular culture, and the
use of universal iconography.
I am interested in Yokoo because
many of his influences parallel to my own, but also because of the influence he
has had upon other renowned artists, such as John Lennon and Yoko Ono; or pop
art monoliths Yayoi Kusama and Takashi Murakami. I enjoy Yokoo’s work for many
aspects: the usage of mixed media with clean screen printed graphics, the
appropriation of popular and kitsch culture, the visual richness, the bold
composition, the fearless use of colour and the vague sense of unease that
permeates much of his work. Tadanori Yokoo’s work is incredibly interesting and
complex, and I will enjoy the opportunity to learn more about his legacy.
