Suzanne Carillo

What significance does our life represent? How are we connected to others?

These are just a couple of the questions I found myself asking when viewing the Yayoi Kusama exhibit at the Art Gallery of Ontario.

Yayoi Kusama Infinity Mirrors

Artists often use art to cope with mental illness.

Yayoi Kusama experienced visual and aural hallucinations from a young age.

“My art originates from hallucinations only I can see. I translate the hallucinations and obsessional images that plague me into sculptures and paintings.” – Yayoi Kusama

Her illness, which emerged during her difficult childhood, has been diagnosed as depersonalisation syndrome, a severe dissociative disorder that can result in episodes of detachment and anxiety, as well as obsessive-compulsive disorder.

She has voluntarily chosen to live in a mental hospital since 1977, her art studio within walking distance across the street.

“Forget yourself. Become one with eternity. Become one with your environment.” -Yayoi Kusama

The photo above was taken in the Obliteration Room.

The room starts out stark white.  Each person entering is asked to use dot stickers anywhere in the room. Eventually all of the white space will disappear and be obliterated by thousands of multicoloured dots.

While I enjoyed the questions this exhibit posed I didn’t enjoy queuing for twenty minutes for each room. Nor did I like the fact that we were restricted to twenty seconds viewing time while sharing the tiny space with one or more other people. I think this destroyed a bit of the overall impact of the exhibit.

Below we are in the room of polkadot penises, Phallis’ Field.

“What death signifies, its colour and spatial beauty, the quietude of its footprints, and the nothingness after death: I am now at the stage of creating art for the repose of my soul, embracing all of these.” – Yayoi Kusama

Perspective and repetition forces us to reflect on our insignificance in the world. We are all just a flicker of light in the universe soon to be extinguished.

Narcissus Garden is filled with large silver balls that look like oversized marbles.

“Since my childhood I’ve always made works with polka dots. Earth, moon, sun and human beings all represent dots; a single particle among billions.” – Yayoi Kusama

I enjoyed the exhibit and would recommend it despite the long waits for viewing.

I would rather be overdressed than underdressed any day.

You may have noticed a certain bee belt I’m wearing with my thrifted very black and very plain dress.

The husband surprised me with this piece of iconic Gucci bling from Hong Kong and I wanted the belt to be the focal point of the outfit.

This is what I topped it off with…

Vintage works with everything.

Here we are in better lighting and no…we didn’t discuss what we were going to wear that day. Somehow that just magically happens after you’ve been married for 27 years.

Are you a fan of Yayoi Kusama’s work?

Linking up with the lovely Patti over at Visible Monday

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