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Yoshitomo Nara. Too Young to Die, 2001:
Acrylic on cotton mounted on fiber reinforced plastics. Diam. 70 3/4 in. (180 cm); D. 10 1/2 in. (26.7 cm). Rubell Family Collection, Miami. Image courtesy of the artist.
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NATIONAL | SPECIAL FEATURE | 10.05.2010 | Kara Vander Weg.
Yoshitomo Nara's caricature-driven paintings, sculptures, and drawings capture the emotional zeitgeist of youth culture with minimal words, many of which have been lifted from song lyrics ("It's better to burn out than to fade away") or glib phrases ("Too young to die"). "I don't have a full trust in language," the Japanese artist has said, and his visual vocabulary - quirky rocker kids, devilish-yet-cuddly toddlers, and prosaic animals - has meaning that is hard to pin down, but undeniably poignant. |
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A glowering young girl puffing on a cigarette is perfectly indicative of our troubled times. Yoshitomo Nara: Nobody's Fool, on view through January 2, 2011, at the Asia Society Museum, presents the most extensive view of the artist's work to date. Nearly 200 works created since 1984 are included and are classified into one of three groupings: Isolation, Music, and Rebellion. Just what is one to make of this provocative artist?
Not your parents' Soup Cans.
Nara is often identified with Japan's Neo Pop movement -
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