中文雜誌館的部落格

超值推薦-ALL+互動英語(互動光碟版) 4月號/2013 第101期

博客來語言學習-英文分類新書上市

LeBron James: The Chosen One Yayoi Kusama: Turning Illness into Art
草間彌生的圓點狂想─Mike Corsini

Yayoi Kusama’s work is dominated by polka dots and other repeating patterns. She often uses psychedelic colors, and her work has evolved from paintings to landscape installations which have made her famous. However, there is a dark secret to all her work. Kusama’s creativity comes from mental illness. While most people try to hide their weaknesses, sometimes it’s best to put one’s flaws to work. That’s exactly the approach Kusama has taken.
Born in 1929, Kusama had a rocky childhood. Her mother, who Kusama regarded as overly old-fashioned, abused her when she was a child. In addition to having to deal with memories of her mother, Kusama suffers from hallucinations and obsessive thoughts, which sometimes are suicidal. It is through her art that Kusama is able to manage her illness, using art as a release mechanism.
Kusama left Japan and moved to New York City in the late 1950s. She didn’t know anyone, but she was a clever marketer—she would often wear traditional Japanese dresses to parties in order to stand out. Kusama quickly made a name for herself in the New York avant-garde art scene. She also supported the values of the 1960s by organizing events such as anti-Vietnam War “happenings,” in which she would paint polka dots on participants’ naked bodies.

草間彌生的作品主要是由圓點和其他重複的圖案所組成。她時常運用光怪陸離的色彩，其作品從畫作逐步發展到讓她成名的景觀裝置。然而，她所有作品的背後卻有一個悲慘的祕密。草間的創造力來自於精神疾病。儘管多數人會設法掩飾自身的弱點，但有時將自己的缺陷放到工作中卻是最好的。這正是草間所採取的方法。草間出生於一九二九年，她童年生活坎坷。她在孩童時遭到她認為極度守舊的母親虐待。除了必須面對母親的回憶，草間還飽受幻覺和妄想的折磨，有時會讓她有輕生的念頭。草間就是透過她的藝術創作才得以控制病情，並且利用藝術作為釋放的途徑。
草間在一九五○年代末期離開日本移居紐約市。雖然人生地不熟，但她是個聰明的生意人──她常穿著傳統的和服去參加宴會來引人注目。草間很快便在紐約前衛藝術界成名。她也會藉由籌辦反越戰的「乍現」活動來支持一九六○年代的價值觀，她會在這些活動中於參加者的裸體上彩繪圓點。