The colorful and whimsical art of Yayoi Kusama finds a good home at the New York Botanical Garden, where her large works appear throughout the park and are surrounded by flowers and other plantings in magical installations in the Enid Haupt Conservatory. NYBG calls the exhibition Kusama: Cosmic Nature, and showcases the vast influence of nature on her art. I visited twice, on April 9 and April 22, first to see the works on the grounds and then to see the art in the Conservatory and other buildings.
Part of the “My Soul Blooms Forever” installation in the Enid Haupt Conservatory.
From the "My Soul Blooms Forever” installation to the “Starry Pumpkin” display, NYBG illustrates Kusama’s love for flowers by featuring blooms and plants that reflect her strong color palette and floral shapes. In the slideshow below, you can see another photograph from “My Soul Blooms Forever,” plus flowers in the room leading to the next work of art.
“Starry Pumpkin” is displayed amid a riot of hostas, foxgloves, hydrangea, bellflowers, and other tall and lanky plants and flowers. The slideshow below shows another photo of “Starry Pumpkin,” plus closeups of the plants that energize the air around the pumpkin.
Kusama’s sculptures entitled “Hymn of Life—Tulips” (2007) are planted in the Conservatory Courtyard Hardy Pool, where they are surrounded by pots of blazing parrot tulips and other tulip hybrids.
“Hymn of Life—Tulips” in the Conservatory Courtyard Hardy Pool. The slideshow below shows another of the Tulips sculptures, plus some of the brilliant tulips. (Note, I couldn’t resist “Georgia O’Keeffing” a couple of the tulips, since I can be inspired by more than one artist who reveres flowers.)
Kusama’s paintings, collages and other works are on display in the Mertz Library Building. The works on paper and fabric sculptures are fascinating, and show the growth and evolution of an inspired artist. There are other indoor exhibits: “Pumpkins Screaming About Love Beyond Infinity” (pumpkin sculptures reflected in a mirrored display) and “Flower Obsession” (where visitors are given floral decals to make the piece a group effort). Outdoor installations include “I Want to Fly to the Universe” (a starry, sunny sculpture), “Narcissus Garden” (silver spheres on the pool in the Native Plant Garden that move with the water, reflecting ever-changing scenes), “Ascension of Polka Dots on the Trees” (wrapped trees), and “Dancing Pumpkin” (looks almost like an octopus!).
“Narcissus Garden” in the Native Plant Garden
This slide show shows “Ascension of Polka Dots on the Trees,” “I Want to Fly to the Universe,” and “Dancing Pumpkin.”
After World War II, the CoBrA artists (named after Copenhagen, Brussels, Amsterdam, and formed by Karel Appel, Constant, Corneille, Christian Dotremont, Asger Jorn, and Joseph Noiret) rejected surrealism and embraced freedom of color and form. Kusama lived in New York City from 1958 through the Sixties, where she was part of the Avant Garde and Pop Art movements, which I see as evolving in many ways from CoBrA. To me, her work reflects much of the CoBrA philosophy, and I am attracted to her work much as I am attracted to CoBrA art, especially the colorful and fanciful lithographs of Corneille.
When I first saw the Kusama pieces on display on the NYBG grounds, I expressed the opinion that I was underwhelmed. But after my second visit, and seeing all the work in the context of the flowers and NYBG campus, I have evolved my thinking and can see in Kusama’s work a depth and need for accommodation with the nature around us that I missed on first viewing.
The Kusama exhibition was delayed from 2020, and is so welcome in 2021 as we try to regenerate after a year of isolation.
Kusama: Cosmic Nature can be visited through October 31, 2021. Timed tickets are required.