Comparat i ve St udy Int roduct i on

M y compar at i ve st udy f ocuses on Fr ank Auer bach, a cont empor ar y ar t i st who was a member of t he f amous School of London. Auer bach f ocused on t he human f or m and capt ur i ng l andscapes i n a pecul i ar , uni que way whi l e ut i l i zi ng l ar ge amount s of oil paints.

I n cont r ast , I l ooked at Yayoi Kusama, a sel f descr i bed “ obsessi onal ar t i st ” who f ocused on mot i f s and pat t er ns i n her wor k. Bot h Auer bach and Kusama gr ew up dur i ng W or l d W ar I I , and t he way t hat t he war shaped t hei r ar t and l i ves i s an interesting thread of similarity that unifies their work.

Then, at t he end of my compar at i ve st udy, I anal yze how r esear chi ng t hese t wo gr eat ar t i st s has i nf l uenced my own wor k whet her i t be t hemat i cal l y or t hr ough my pr ocess. Annot at ing Frank Auerbach’s Bacchus and Ariadne, 1971 Bacchus and Ari adne, Frank Auerbach, 1971, Oil on Canvas, 122.3 x 153 cm, Tat e Nat i onal Gall ery. Auerbach’s pi ece i s model ed af t er Ti t an’s pi ece of t he same name, but i n a non-obj ect i ve f orm wi t h j oyous col ors t hrough oi l on canvas. Auerbach’s use of heavy oi l pai nt creat es a very rough t ext ure t o t he surf ace of hi s pai nt i ngs, whi ch This space of light blue paint usual l y al l udes t o chaos. Agai n, t hi s chaos i s cont rast s wi t h t he rest of t he present as t he t ext ure cont ri but es t o t he i mage as i t s val ue i s much emot i onal i nt ensi t y and chaos of t he l ove bet ween l i ght er. It creat es a break wi t hi n Ari adne and Bacchus. t he i mage and draws t he vi ewer’s eyes t o t he t wo red, Most of Auerbach’s brushst rokes i n cent ral f i gures. In a sense of a t hi s pi ece are st i f f and geomet ri c. He l andscape, t hi s bl ue can cont rast s hi s own st yl e by i ncl udi ng a represent t he sky seen over an circle in t he sky. This rounded shape urban set t i ng whi l e al so creat es movement i n t he pi ece, as i f symbol i zi ng t he sky t hat st ars are ci rcl i ng above t he t wo l overs Bacchus of f ers t o Ari adne i n di rect l y bel ow. Tit an’s pi ece. Al so, t he oval represent s a crown t hat Bacchus t hrows i nt o t he sky af t er Ari adne di es as a way t o i mmort al i ze her i n t he st ars. Auerbach’s use of l i ne i n t hi s pi ece i s remi ni scent of a The f ocus of t he i mage are t he t wo l andscape wi t h scaf f ol di ng i n f igures meet ing and f alling in love in a ci t y l i ke London t hat i s red. Auerbach emphasizes t hem by const ant ly doing using dark blues and black t o const ruct i on. However, t hi s represent Bacchus’s part y. The f i gure of red l i nes, al so cont rast of col ors make t he bl ue f ade represent s Ari adne i n Tit an’s Thi s sect i on of red creat es a uni t y bet ween t he t wo red f i gures t hat represent Ari adne and more i nt o t he background t o Bacchus. Si nce red i s connot at ed wi t h romance, t he red t hat t i es t he t wo f i gures t oget her demonst rat e t he emot i onal i nt ensi t y pi ece. symbol i zes t hei r l ove and passi on f or one anot her and cont rast s wi t h t he rest of t he bl ue, bet ween Ari adne and Bacchus. serene f eel i ng of t he i mage. Bacchus and Ari adne, Frank Auerbach, 1971, Oil on Canvas, 122.3 x 153 cm, Tat e Nat i onal Gall ery. Cultural Significance of Bacchus andBacchus Ariadne, and Ari adne, Tit i an, 1971 1523, Oil on canvas, 176.5 x 191 cm, The Nat i onal Gall ery. Frank Auerbach was a member of t he f amous “ School of London” i n The same year t hat he pai nt ed Bacchus and Ari adne, Auerbach post WWII Bri t ai n (Gett y). The School of London was a col l ect i ve of wrot e i n a l et t er t o t he Times t hat “ Your correspondent s t end t o art i st s who f ocused on t he human f i gure and every day l andscape wri t e of pai nt i ngs as obj ect s of f i nanci al val ue or passi ve beaut y” t hrough abst ract i on as a rej ect i on of cont emporary art . Auerbach’s In 1971, Auerbach rej ect ed what he cal l ed “ passi ve beaut y” by Bacchus and Ari adne embodi es t hese val ues of t he School of London creat i ng pai nt i ngs such as Bacchus and Ari adne t o embody pure t hrough i t s depi ct i on of an abst ract l andscape. energy.

At f i rst gl ance, Bacchus and Ari adne can be percei ved as a si mpl e, abst ract l andscape, but once t he vi ewer reads t he t i t l e, t he many symbol i c el ement s of t he pi ece become si gni f i cant . The t i t l e al l udes t o t he Roman myt h of t wo l overs as wel l as a pai nt i ng wi t h t he same name done by Renai ssance pai nt er Tit i an. Auerbach has creat ed many pi eces t hat are “ done af t er t he mast ers” where he wi l l creat e art t hat embodi es t he mood of t he pai nt i ng, but uses hi s abst ract i on of col ors t o creat e t he mood (Tat e). Wit h t he cont ext of t he t i t l e, vi ewers can t hen i dent i f y symbol s such as t he crown of st ars i n t he sky t hat represent t he const el l at i on t hat Bacchus made f or Ari adne By creat i ng pi eces af t er t he work of t he mast ers f rom t he Renai ssance, Auerbach i s abl e t o connect t he ol d worl d af t er her deat h. of t he Renai ssance wi t h hi s modern worl d. The cont rast bet ween Auerbach’s rendi t i on of Tit i an’s ori gi nal pai nt i ng i s si gni f i cant t hrough i t s dynami c brush st rokes t hat creat e dynami c energy and conf usi on t hat embody t he t i me period in which it was paint ed. The bol d col or choi ces and cont rast Annot at i ng Yayoi Kusama’s Pumpkin Sculpt ure, 1998 bet ween t he bl ack and yel l ow can be at t ri but ed t o Kusama’s pop art st yl e as Kusama’s repeat ed use of bl ack wel l as her l ove f or energy, si nce yel l ow pol kadot s creat es a rhyt hm i n t he i s t he col or of t he sun and l i ght . The pumpkin, creat ing it s spirit and cont rast bet ween t he shapes due t o t he energy t hat i s present i n Japanese col ors creat e a movement i n t he vi si on culture, particularly Shinto beliefs i n vi si on of t he vi ewers so t hat when that all things had spirits. Also, t hey bl i nk, t hey see t he pat t ern t he pol kadot al l udes t o t he sun, recurri ng everywhere, j ust l i ke Kusama j ust l i ke i t does i n t he Japanese did when she was mentally ill. flag, promot ing t he pumpkin’s energy. The bl ack pol kadot s can al so be seen as eyes, addi ng t o The uni t y of t he col ors and t he l i f e of t he pumpki n. Kusama pat t ern of t he pumpkin wit h sees pol kadot s as a way t o t he rest of t he room makes i t i nf i ni t y, al most l i ke an i dea of seem t hat t he pumpkin is enlight enment and connect ion never endi ng, t hat i t s f orm i s wi t h everyt hi ng around her. i nf i ni t e, a mot i f of t en used by Kusama i n her art . The way t hat t he pumpkin can expand and f i l l t he space make i t s The f orm of t he pumpki n i s l arge and energy ext remel y st rong, t akes a l arge presence i n t he smal l maki ng i t so t hat i t i s as room. It s sheer si ze and f orm make i t powerf ul as possi bl e. Thi s overpoweri ng and al most omni sci ent , Pumpkin Sculpt ure, Yayoi Kusama, 1998, sculpt ure, n/ a, Seoul Art s Cent er. encourages t he vi ewer t o as i f i t wi l l conf ront t he vi ewer and The l ack of emphasi s on t he human f orm wi t h a pumpki n head may make i t mi ssed by a vi ewer. Kusama of t en made her art i nt eract i ve or perf ormed wi t h i t , physi cal l y i nsert i ng hersel f i nt o t he pi ece and f orci ng t hat connect i on and recogni t i on connect wit h t he pumpkin t hat i t s many eyes wi l l see al l t hat i s wi t h t he way i t overwhel ms hi dden f rom vi ew. The si ze al so of hersel f . However, i n t hi s pi ece, she i s al most hi di ng. Her head i s repl aced wi t h t he shape of a smal l er pumpki n, showi ng her deep connect i on wi t h t he pumpki n. In her chi l dhood, she woul d have hal l uci nat i ons of t en. One day, she remembers t hem, t o f i nd sol ace wi t h t he makes peopl e dwarf ed i n compari son, pumpkin, just as Kusama did which humbles t hem. t hat she had a conversat i on wi t h a pumpki n and used i t t o cent er hersel f . By maki ng her head a pumpki n, we see t hat Kusama i s rel axed and at ease, j ust compl et el y f ocused on t he pumpki n and di st ract ed f rom her ment al woes. in her childhood hallucinations. Cultural Significance of Pumpkin Sculpt ure, 1998 Pumpki ns and Kusama’s chi l dhood are deepl y i nt ert wi ned. Kusama grew up in Mat sumot o, Japan during World War II. During t he war, most of Japan’s f ood suppl i es were di srupt ed due t o rat i oni ng f or t he war ef f ort . However, Kusama’s f ami l y worked i n whol esal e produce sal es and t hei r warehouses were f i l l ed wi t h pumpki ns, meani ng t he f ami l y consumed pumpki ns f or a maj ori t y of t he durat i on of t he war. Al so, i n her chi l dhood, Kusama of t en had hal l uci nat i ons where she woul d have “ conversat i ons” wi t h t he pumpki ns. These conversat i ons woul d hel p Kusama cal m down and cent er hersel f .

Pumpki ns have connot at i ons of growt h and f ert i l i t y, The use of Kusama’s pol ka dot s on t he pi ece whi ch can be t i ed wi t h t he i dea of f emi ni ni t y. Pumpkin Sculpt ure, 1998, Yayoi Kusama, sculpt ure,n/ a, Seoul ArtCent s er. al so may al l ude t o Japan i n t he Showa era Kusama woul d l at er expl ore t he i deas of f emi ni ni t y f ol l owi ng t he war. The new Japanese f l ag, a and sexual i t y as she moved t o creat e more avant whi t e f l ag wi t h a red ci rcl e t hat represent ed garde art . t he rai si ng sun, may have been a source of i nspi rat i on f or Kusama. Kusama has been Pumpki ns al so have connot at i ons of growt h and recorded sayi ng t hat she bel i eves t hat “ pol kadot s are t he way t o i nf i ni t y” and t hat f ert i l i t y, whi ch can be t i ed wi t h t he i dea of t hei r shape embodi ed energy, l i ke t he sun of f emi ni ni t y. Kusama woul d l at er expl ore t he i deas of t he Japanese f l ag. f emi ni ni t y and sexual i t y as she moved t o creat e more avant garde art . Annot at ing Frank Auerbach’s The Ori gi n of t he Great Bear, 1968 " Frank Auerbach, ' The Ori gi n of t he Great Bear' 1967–8." Tat e. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Oct. 2016 Auerbach was commi ssi oned by Davi d Wi l ki e t o creat e a pai nt i ng wi t h a Ti t anesque pai nt i ng wi t hout ref erri ng t o a speci f i c work of Ti t an.

Auerbach’s use of t he col or of red The black shape in t he corner disrupt s cont rast s wi t h t he rest of t he green t he uni t y of t he ent i re pi ece t hrough i t s scenery t o draw t he eye t o t he f i gure. size and position which contrasts with Thi s red f i gure symbol i zes t he goddess t he cent er of t he paint ing which includes Diana as she hunt s down Callist o, one si mi l ar val ues of t he shapes. Thi s shape of her warri or nymphs who was raped represent s an eagl e, t he symbol of t he by Jupi t er. There i s more red scat t ered god Jupit er, and represent s Jupit er’s t hroughout t he i mage whi ch represent i nt ervent i on bet ween ursi ne Cal l i st o and Di ana’s hounds as t hey search f or her son Arcas as he omni sci ent l y vi ews Castillo as the entire painting displays t hem f rom above t o save t hem f rom t hi s t he myt h of Cast i l l o and how t he Great grave mi st ake. Bear const el l at i on was f ormed. By including Diana in such a dark, The darker val ues i n t he mi ddl e cont rast wi t h passi onat e col or, t he vi ewer i s st ruck t he l i ght er, yel l ow negat i ve space of t he wi t h t he pai n t hat Cal l i st o experi enced paint ing. Auerbach’s lines here are jumbled, when she was banished by Diana. but represent a chaot i c si t uat i on of Arcas and ursi ne Cal l i st o meet i ng agai n where Arcas at t empt s t o ki l l hi s mot her, not recogni zi ng These seven dot s cont rast wi t h Auerbach’s This line balances t he t wo diagonal corners of t he paint ing, balancing her i n her ursi ne f orm. The t ext ure i n t hi s jagged lines and t heir shape and wi t h t he eagl e t hat i s Jupi t er. The l i ne, organi c i n f orm, al l udes t o pai nt i ng f rom t he many l ayers of oi l al l ude t o posi t i oni ng al l udes t o t he const el l at i on Callisto laying in the fields. Whether it is Callisto laying down after t hi s chaos, a common mot i f of Auerbach’s. Ursa Maj or, t he Great Bear, i n t he sky t hat bei ng raped by Jupi t er or when she gi ves bi rt h t o Arcas i s uncl ear, but Callisto was made into by Jupiter. gives the impression of a cycle in Callisto’s life. Cultural Significance of The Ori gi n of t he Great Bear, 1967-68 Si mi l arl y t o Bacchus and Ari adne, The Ori gi n of t he Great Bear was based of f of t he Roman myt h where one of Di ana’s warri or nymphs, Cal l i st o, was raped by Jupit er. However, unlike Bacchus and Ariadne, Auerbach was commissioned by David Wilkie t o creat e a paint ing t hat was Tit anesque. So, unlike Bacchus and Ari adne, The Ori gi n of t he Great Bear was an ori gi nal composi t i on by Auerbach t hat st i l l provoked resembl ance t o Ti t i an’s pai nt ings. Si mi l arl y t o Bacchus and Ari adne, The Ori gi n of t he Great Bear was based of f of t he Roman myt h where one of Di ana’s warri or nymphs, The t hemes of f emal e sexual i t y and consequences i n The Ori gi n of Callist o, was raped by Jupit er. However, unlike Bacchus and Ariadne, t he Great Bear are anot her way i n whi ch Auerbach i s connect i ng t he Auerbach was commi ssi oned by Davi d Wi l ki e t o creat e a pai nt i ng t hat past wit h t he radical present of 1970’s Brit ain. During t he 1970’s, was Tit anesque. So, unlike Bacchus and Ariadne, The Origin of t he Great t he sexual revol ut i on was i n f ul l f orce and women were f i ght i ng f or Bear was an ori gi nal composi t i on by Auerbach t hat st i l l provoked universal equality. The juxtaposition of Callisto’s harsh punishments resemblance t o Tit ian’s paint ings. f or bei ng raped by Zeus and bei ng exi l ed f or t he af t ermat h wi t h t hese radi cal movement s i n t he 1970’s serves as a soci al comment ary and remi nder of t he hypocri sy of t he past .

Done i n a st yl e cust omary t o Auerbach and t he School of London, t he pi ece i s abst ract enough t hat t he vi ewer needs t he cont ext of t he t i t l e t o f ul l y comprehend t he i mage. Auerbach borrows f rom t he myt h t o creat e symbol s t o al l ude t o t he t i t l e. For exampl e, t he bl ack f i gure i n t he t op ri ght corner i s an eagl e, t he symbol of t he Roman god Jupi t er, and represent s Jupi t er’s i nf l uence on Cal l i st o’s st ory. Al so, t he seven dot s i n t he opposi ng corner al l ude t o t he constellation Ursa Major in which Callisto was transformed into by Jupiter in the myth of its origin.

Compari son of Kusama’s Pumpkin Sculpt ure and Auerbach’s The Ori gi n of t he Great Bear

Differences Similarities ● Texture Both ○ Kusama’s smooth surfaces provoke ● These pieces have warm surrealist, dream like images for the hues with the overbearing ● Kusama and Auerbach both lived viewer through WWII. color being used as yellow ○ Auerbach’s heavy use of oil paint but both have sources of ○ Kusama in Japan creates a very textured, rough surface contrast. ○ Auerbach escaped from Nazi of paint that embodies the chaos that ○ Kusama, her Ger many he experienced from his childhood polkadots ● Personal Connections Concepts of Womanhood examined ○ Auerbach, the ● ○ Kusama’s pumpkins have deep ties to meeting of Callisto ○ Kusama, the fertility and her childhood and her mental health, and Arcas bulbous shape of the almost a self-portrait of her mind. pumpkin can be a symbol ○ Auerbach’s Origin of the Great Bear is ● Abstraction utilized by both for femininity based upon a myth and has no personal artists as they explore new ○ Auerbach, the myth of connection to him, but he is exploring expressions of art and shift Callisto discusses the the concept and modern connections away from contemporary art consequence of her rape. for older myths and works. to modern art.

Pumpkin Sculpture Yayoi Kusama 1998 sculpture n/ a Seoul Arts Center "Frank Auerbach ' The Origin of the Great Bear' 1967–8" Tat e Np nd Web 21 Oct 2016 Compari son of Auerbach’s Bacchus and Ari adne and The Ori gi n of t he Great Bear Similarities Auerbach’s heavy use of oil paint to Similar composition. Auerbach has a produce a heavily textured image is central symbol for each myth in the top left prominent in both pieces. corner of both paintings.

Both pieces have aspects of high contrast.

Bacchus and Ariadne, the The Origin of the Great Bear The Origin of the crown of stars that Bacchus and Ariadne has contrasts the overwhelming Great Bear, the represents the the contrast between the amount of yellow with gray black eagle that constellation that Ariadne cool tones of blue with in the central part of the represents Jupiter. becomes after her death. the bright, warm red that image to depict Callisto and represents their passion. Arcas. Compari son of Auerbach’s Bacchus and Ari adne and The Ori gi n of t he Great Bear Differences

Bacchus and Ariadne has more vibrant colors than The Origin of the Great Bear to depict the mood of passion and happiness from Titian’s painting.

The focus of The Origin of the Great Bacchus and Ariadne is Bear, the based off of Titian’s painting The Origin of the Great gray/ green that of the same name while The Bear has significantly represents Callisto Origin of the Great Bear was less negative space than and Arcas meeting The Origin of the Great painted to resemble Titian’s Lacks a central Bacchus and Ariadne. is muddled and has Bear’s color palette is muchwork through certain themes subject. Bacchus less detail than more somber to reflect the and Ariadne serve Bacchus and tragedy that has fallen upon as the subject/focus Ariadne. Callisto. with the red paint.

Bacchus and Ari adne, Frank Auerbach, 1971, Oil on Canvas, 122.3 x 153 cm, Tat e Nat i onal Gall ery. "Frank Auerbach, ' The Origin of the Great Bear' 1967–8." Tat e. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Oct. 2016. Bacchus and Ariadne, Frank Auerbach, 1971, Oil on Canvas, 122.3 x 153 cm, Tate National Gallery. Pumpkin Sculpture, Yayoi Kusama, 1998, sculpture, n/ a, Seoul Arts Center. Comparison of Pumpkin and Bacchus and Ariadne Kus ama Auerbach Shape Non-Obj ecti ve By choosing such a large, bold shape for Unlike Kusama, Auerbach’s piece needs the focus of the piece, the pumpkin itself, the more context in order to understand the image. emphasis is on the organic structure of the His non-objective representation of Titian’s piece sculpture. confuses the viewer. Pattern Composition Common i n Kusama’ s wor k, the patter n of Auerbach’s piece’s composition borrows from polkadots trains the eye along the curving lines of Titian’s piece under the same title. Unlike the structure to emphasize the shape. Kusama, Auerbach is reworking a classic and Self portraying the same emotion as Titian through an Kusama inserts herself into the piece to bring a Both abstract form to challenge society’s perception of social commentary aspect into the work as the Colors “acceptable” art. vi ewer wor ks to compr ehend why Kusama and Auerbach both chose dynamic she is in the piece as well. colors in order to create a bold image for the viewer. However, Kusama’s color has an emphasis on contrast while Auerbach focuses on emotions. Moti f s Kusama utilizes a motif from her style of art: polka dots. Auerbach also utilizes a characteristic of his art: his brush strokes. Both are able to create cohesive images. Self-Comparison: Selu and the Origin of the Great Bear Selu, Hana Sugi oka, 2016, acryl i c on wood, n/ a. "Frank Auerbach, ' The Origin of the Great Bear' 1967–8." Tat e. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Oct. 2016. Themat i c Inf l uence: Presence of cel est i al s The dots in the upper right hand corner of Auerbach’s symbolizes the constellation Ursa Major. The silver in Selu’s hair represents Selu’s presence in the heavens. Both women are unified with the heavens and are thus immortal after facing tragedy. The Anguish of Lineage Callisto was killed by her own son to join the stars. Selu killed by her own twin sons for power. This demonstrates the unconditional nature of maternal love.

Differences I nfluence on Composition Tone as depict ed by color Use of Li ne Auerbach’s focused on the contrast between the yellow and the Auerbach’s concentration of black lines centers the composition of the image. gray to emphasize the tragedy in the events. Mine contrasts cool The hair of Selu in my piece acts as a line to bring the eye from the bottom to and warm colors to depict two different settings: the harvest and the top of the image. the heavens. Pumpkin Sculpture, Yayoi Kusama, 1998, sculpture, n/ a, Seoul Arts Center. Self Comparison: Cact us and Pumpkin

Sculptures Kusama’s dominates the room and attracts complete attention from the view. Is almost overwhelming. Mine is small in comparison. Focused on being endearing rather than shocking.

Representation of memories Kusama’s represents a memory she has of pumpkins from her childhood along with her mental health. Mine, because of the Insertion of the artist Insertion of the artist medium, represents my grandfather and My piece has less of a focus on Kusama has herself present within the the work he used to do with wood when I myself and more of a focus on my work to illustrate her union with pumpkins was growing up. grandfather as I focused on working mentally and how it has consumed her on the same materials he did in the mentally. past. Union with the Background Union with the Background Mine does not have a cohesive Kusama’s piece and background background to match it as I wanted it match with color and the motif of Cactus Sculpture, Hana Sugioka, 2016, to be an artificial object in nature or a polka dots to truly consume the acrylic on wood, n/ a. garden to have that contrast. viewer in its presence. Sel f -Comparison: Sakura and Pumpkin

Artist Insertion Mental Health

Kusama represents herself by physically By inserting ourselves into the art, the art inserting herself beside the pumpkin to becomes increasingly personal. The pumpkin represent her mental state and how it is of Kusama represents episodes of consumed by a pumpkin. I drew myself, but hallucinations she used to have as a child. more childishly in the piece to show how The skulls and flowers in mine represent two young I feel with everything that is daunting different mental states I have experienced in ar ound me. my life.

Cultural Significance Dif f erences: Stasis In Kusama’s piece, she is consumed by the pumpkin and is Kusama’s pumpkin borrows from her depicted leaning against the piece, unmoving and stationary childhood of growing up in Japan and which symbolizes herself not moving from that mental state. surviving off of pumpkins from her I tried to depict my transition from dark life experiences to light family’s business during WWII. My piece by contrasting the flowers and the skulls. borrows from Murakami’s style and Color Kusama focuses on the harsh contrast between yellow and black contains symbols from my visits to to create a vivid, graphic image. My colors that represent the Japan with my family. As a culture, our lighter side of the piece are soft and blend together while the art is constantly evolving, so I wanted to skulls blend into darker colors to contrast with themselves but in honor that in my piece. a less harsh manner to represent the blending of these two concepts of light and dark.

Sakura Hana Sugioka 2016 70 x 55 cm mixed media on cardboard n/a Pumpkin Sculpture Yayoi Kusama 1998 sculpture n/ a Seoul Arts Center Sakura, Hana Sugi oka, 2016, 70 x 55 cm, mi xed medi a on cardboard, n/ a. Funct ion of My Own Piece: Sakur a Thi s pi ece f unct i oned f or me bot h Al so, personal l y, t hi s pi ece al l owed personally and cult urally. When I me t o expl ore an ext ensi on of my creat ed t hi s pi ece, I want ed t o pay t ypi cal st yl e of art . I enj oy worki ng homage t o Takashi Murakami , a wi t h paper and col l ages as my mai n Japanese art i st t hat admi red. My mediums, but t his t ime I wasn’t brot her and my f at her had seen creat i ng an overal l i mage but a t ype work creat ed by Murakami when of f eel i ng and mood f or t he pi ece. I t hey were i n Tokyo, and t hey spoke creat ed t his concept of art during a hi ghl y of Murakami ’s use of very di f f i cul t port i on of my l i f e due metallics. Also, flowers in this style, t o f ami l y i l l nesses and I want ed t o ar e a common mot i f i n Mur akami ’ s show how ment al l y I was t ryi ng t o art and I ut i l i zed t hem here as wel l . shi f t mysel f away f rom darker part s While I had limited access to of my l i f e and i nt o a l i ght er, new met al l i cs, I want ed t o recreat e a part of my l i f e. similar feeling with my use of paints and paper.

Si mi l arl y t o Kusama, I f ound t he repet i t i ve nat ure of cut t i ng out t he skul l s and f l owers very rel axi ng. The process i t sel f helped di st ract me and keep me emot i onal l y grounded. Recent l y, I’ve been at t empt i ng t o f ocus on t he process of creat i ng art and not t he final i mage, and here I f el t as i f I had reached t he poi nt of t rul y bei ng i nvol ved i n t he process of my art . Funct ion of Kusama’s Pumpkin

Self-Reflection The function of Kusama’s pumpkin sculpture is to serve a personal, healing function for herself. The pumpkin itself is a symbol of her childhood and her recognition of her own mental illness. Ultimately, the pumpki n symbol i zes t he consummat i on of her mi nd by these outside forces as her own mental instability has forced her focus elsewhere.

Pumpkin Sculpture, Yayoi Kusama, 1998, sculpture, n/ a, Seoul Arts Center. S oci al Comment ar y The Viewer Many viewers of the piece that do not have extensive knowledge of Kusama’s work Overall, the exhibit in which the pumpkin is housed overwhelming may view the piece itself as humorous and playful. In a way, this may be intentional on for the viewer in hopes that they will understand Kusama’s own Kusama’s part. Perhaps Kusama expects the viewers to approach to something that thought patterns. Also, I expect that painting each polkadot is a has such significance in terms of mental health. People may not at first view the relaxing process for Kusama. The repetitive motion is enough to ease subject as something that is approachable or easy to talk about, but Kusama’s piece her mind into a rhythm as she paints so the process itself is healing may make the conversation happen in more situations than it would have as people for her. investigate the true meaning of her work Funct ion of Auerbach’s The Ori gi n of t he Great Bear

" Frank Auerbach, ' The Ori gi n of t he Great Bear' 1967–8." Tat e. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Oct. 2016.

Thi s pai nt i ng done by Auerbach was ori gi nal l y a commi ssi oned pi ece by Davi d Wil ki e. So, on t he pri mi t i ve l evel , t hi s pi ece’s f unct i on was t o f ul f i l l t he commi ssi on and make hi s sponsor sat i sf i ed. However, t hi s pi ece has f unct i on f or Auerbach hi msel f as wel l .

Wil ki e commi ssi oned t hi s pi ece because Auerbach had been reproduci ng pi eces by Renai ssance art i st s such as Tit i an but i n hi s own st yl e. When Wil ki e commi ssi oned Auerbach, he request ed t hat Auerbach creat e hi s own composi t i on i n a st yl e t hat woul d remi nd t he vi ewer of Tit i an’s own composi t i ons and pi eces.

Ul t i mat el y, t hi s commi ssi on al l owed Auerbach t o t rul y expl ore hi s own st yl e and art work wi t hout bei ng conf i ned t o a composi t i on t hat had al ready been creat ed. Thi s al l owed Auerbach t o t rul y push his boundaries as bot h an art ist and imit at or by forcing him t o t hink as Tit ian did and channel t he st yl es of Renai ssance art i st s i n order t o creat e hi s own uni que composi t i on. Lubbock, Tom. " Af t er You, Mast er, af t er You." The Independent . Independent Digit al Sour ces News and Medi a, n.d. Web. 08 Nov. 2016. The Abduction of Ganymede, Anton, Domenico Gabbiani, 1700, oil on canvas, 74 x 49 cm, The Athenaeum. Mary McCart hy on Frank Auerbach. Prod. TATE. Perf. Mary McCarthy. Tat e Bri t ai n. N.p., n.d. Video. 8 Nov. 2016. Allsop, Laura. "Yayoi Kusama' s Pumpkin Obsession." AnOther. N.p., 8 Oct. 2014. Web. 13 Oct. 2016. McCord, Text Brooke. " Your Def i ni t i ve Gui de t o Yayoi Kusama." Dazed. DazedDi gi t al .com, Auerbach, Frank, and Robert Hughes. Frank Auerbach. London: Thames and Hudson,1990. Print . 19 July 2016. Web. 25 Jan. 2017.

Bacchus and Ari adne, Frank Auerbach, 1971, Oil on Canvas, 122.3 x 153 cm, Tat e Nat i onal Gall ery. The Ori gi n of t he Great Bear, Frank Auerbach, 1968, Oil on canvas, 130 x 156 cm, Tat e Nat i onal Gall ery. Bacchus and Ari adne, Tit i an, 1523, Oil on canvas, 176.5 x 191 cm, The Nat i onal Gall ery. Pumpkin Sculpt ure, Yayoi Kusama, 1998, sculpt ure, n/ a, Seoul Art s Cent er. Cact us Scul pt ure, Hana Sugi oka, 2016, acryl i c on wood, n/ a. " REACH UP TO THE UNI VERSE, DOTTED PUMPKI N. " Reach Up t o t he Uni verse, Dot t ed " Frank Auerbach, ' The Ori gi n of t he Great Bear' 1967–8." Tat e. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Oct. 2016. Pumpkin. Yayoi Kusama, n.d. Web. 08 Nov. 2016.

" Frank Auerbach." The Nat i onal Gall ery, London. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 Oct. 2016. Selu, Hana Sugi oka, 2016, acryl i c on wood, n/ a.

Gabbi ani , Ant on Domenci o. " The Abduct i on of Ganymede." The At henaeum. The At henaeum, n.d. Tit ian. " Bacchus and Ariadne." The Nat i onal Gall ery, London. The Nat i onal Gall ery, London, n.d. Web. 25 Jan. 2017.

Web. 25 Jan. 2017. " Ursa Maj or Hevel i us." Const el l at i on of Words. Const el l at i on of Words, n.d. Web. 24 Jan. 2017. Sakura, Hana Sugi oka, 2016, 70 x 55 cm, mi xed medi a on cardboard, n/ a.

" Yayoi Kusama - A Dream I Dreamed." Art Seoul . N.p., 06 Oct. 2014. Web. 13 Oct. 2016.