If anyone out there is going to be on, around, or in NYC anytime from now until July 13, if you get a chance try to catch the massive Takashi Murakami exhibit over at the Brooklyn Museum of Art.
Some of the pieces (like the Louis Vitton store) don’t exactly work, but overall it’s deeply impressive and memorable to say the least — especially the stunning sculptures Second Mission Project ko2 Advanced (Human Type) and Inochi, and the overwhelming paintings Super Nova and Tan Tan Bo Puking, which I would argue is an honest-to-god masterpiece.
Unfortunately restrictions kept us from taking photos, but you can check out how Murakami’s gigantic Mr. Pointy sculpture was assembled, and you can also take a look at the swell Murakami site the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles has up. It’s where the exhibit was first shown a few months back and I believe features all the same work.
I first encountered Murakami’s work while walking through Boston’s MFA. I ran into a life sized Mr DOB statue among the Japanese section. Soon after they had a full exhibit of his work and Murakami himself came to the museum. I almost got him to autograph the artbook I got, but he had to catch his plane for Japan.
Also, this Brooklyn exhibit has “Hiropon (1997), a Japanese girl jumping a rope created by milk spurting from her gargantuan breasts.” Now that’s something to see in person.