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Infinity Net: The Autobiography of Yayoi Kusama
In 1957, encouraged by Georgia O’Keeffe, artist Yayoi Kusama left Japan for New York City to become a star. By the time she returned to her home country in 1973, she had established herself as a leader of New York’s avant-garde movement, known for creating happenings and public orgies to protest the Vietnam War and for the polka dots that had become a trademark of her work
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Hardcover
,
256 pages
Published
January 30th 2012
by University Of Chicago Press
(first published March 31st 2003)
![無限の網 草間彌生自伝 [Mugen no ami : Kusama Yayoi jiden]](http://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/photo.goodreads.com/books/1395577607i/21531991._UY200_.jpg)
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I was introduced to Yayoi Kusama back in university, where my "obsessive" works were subtly likened to Kusama's process with repetition. The first time I truly paid attention to her was two or three years ago. Occasionally having read up on her, I bumped into one of her small pumpkins at an art fair. It was green with black polka dots like growth, disease, dreams, and a glossy overlay that shrouded the object in material status (art fair, high art, luxury) and wonderful absurdity (the hope and b
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A little weird, but I really liked it. It was a bit hard to understand what she meant because it was translated from japanese, but it was overall enjoyable and def worth reading. The link between her mental illness and her work is told from her perspective versus outsiders, as she vividly describes hallucinations that are eventually depicted in her crazy psychedelic designs (which I thought was valuable if you are trying to understand where her inspiration comes from). Also cool to see 70's New
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I know Yayoi Kusama thanks to my son. I fall in love with her art from the first moment.
Now I read her autobiography and I fall in love with her life and her thoughts.
Kusama is a strong woman who fought hard against her family and the rules which tying all women in that years.
Kusama is not a mental patient, she dreams a better world this is only her illness.
Now I read her autobiography and I fall in love with her life and her thoughts.
Kusama is a strong woman who fought hard against her family and the rules which tying all women in that years.
Kusama is not a mental patient, she dreams a better world this is only her illness.
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An easy to read autobiography that spans across Yayoi's life. With some elegant prose and lovely imagery, she details her life as a young Japanese artist making her way in New York.
I did struggle with her ego in this book, not one for great moments of humility or reflection on how she (appeared) to treat people. As an artist myself, I wanted to know more about how she used her art as a way to manage her mental instability, and this book almost skimmed across that.
There are some nice moments in ...more
I did struggle with her ego in this book, not one for great moments of humility or reflection on how she (appeared) to treat people. As an artist myself, I wanted to know more about how she used her art as a way to manage her mental instability, and this book almost skimmed across that.
There are some nice moments in ...more
One of the best autobiographies I have read hitherto. I am a huge fan of Yayoi. I love her personal philosophy, her outstanding striving for Freedom and Happiness, her extraordinary and highly inspirational artistic persona. She made an artistic and social revolution back in the 50's and 60's and she is the Mother of Contemporary Art, as well as the so called Psychosomatic Art. Her beliefs will always accompany me in the future and I hope some time to visit a great Yayoi Kusama Exhibition!
Sometimes stiff, others delicate and delightful. She tries hard to describe her greatness, at times even as if being a reporter of her own achievements. For anybody interested in contemporary arts and people that are different it is worth a read. The book loosens up in her adulthood and leaves you with a good feeling, all in all I believe it is sincere, from a very talented outsider with a big ego that got the attention she was looking for late in life.
I think this is more like 3.5 stars for me, I really enjoyed learning more about Kusama, especially as told from her point of view, but the writing was a little bit too meandering for me, and I just wanted more in a lot of sections; a lot of years are covered in only 250 pages, and Kusama spends a significant amount of those pages on talking about others in her life (which was interesting, but not about *her*), photos, and excerpts of pieces & criticisms that others had written about her, wh
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This is one of the strangest books I've ever read and I ended up with a real love/hate relationship with it. I really liked the part about her art and especially about her relationships with other artists. And it was fascinating from a mental health perspective. But there was an awful lot of self promotion – since she is such an esteemed artist, I wonder why she felt that necessary.
Yayoi Kusama is my favorite artist, for many reasons, and it felt like such a privilege to read her memoir, to gain new insight into her motivations, her background, and her complex perspective. Arranged informally into short chapters, some remembering little moments in her life and others covering large stretches of time, the book is a quick but somewhat dense read, with a poetic prose style and a definite sense that - though it often feels quite intimate - there is much she doesn't want to sha
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Kusama is an inspiration and one tough dame. A front-row view of the Sixties.
A very inspiring look into the mind of the artist. I love her writing style, and her ability to put into words her own art and her creative motivations. She does come across as sort of cocky, but I think she's earned that right. I now feel I have a deeper understanding of Kusama's art. There are many valuable quotes about life, art and creativity in here. Recommended for anyone with an appreciation for modern art and the tortured spirit of the artist.
I love her straightforward (you might even say bold) statements about what she accomplished. No false humility here. Aside from her art fame, I wonder if she deserves more credit for shaping some of the ideas of the sixties (especially with the "happenings").
So inspiring and heartening! I was a fan of Yayoi's before reading this but now know so much more of how much courage, heart, and commitment to her vision she has. This book is making me think a lot about my place as a creator.
It's really interesting to read an autobiography by someone diagnosed with a "depersonalization" condition. This is a must for any Yayoi Kusama fan. But I can't wait for some future biography to know the whole story.
Amazing book for any artist to read. It's important to know how other artists draw their inspiration and how they create.
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“All of my works are steps on my journey, a struggle for truth that I have waged with pen, canvas, and materials. Overhead is a distant, radiant star, and the more I stretch to reach it, the further it recedes. But by the power of my spirit and my single-hearted pursuit of the path, I have clawed my way through the labyrinthine confusion of the world of people in an unstinting effort to approach even one step closer to the realm of the soul.”
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