Pop Art vs. Neo-Pop Art - "Neo-Pop Culture"
Neo-Pop Culture
Many consider the Pop Art movement to have been the catalyst that necessitated creation of the term “contemporary art”. Pop Art is named for its fascination with popular icons of mass culture. It was pioneered by artists like Andy Warhol, Richard Hamilton, and Roy Lichtenstein in the early 1960’s, and would go on to start a pop culture phenomena of its own. The Pop Art movement’s popularity faded around the time post-modern art was taking shape in the early 1970’s, but it had already left a lasting impression on the landscape of contemporary art. In fact, it has seen a sort of renaissance in the works of self-proclaimed Neo-Pop artists not only in the Western art world of its origin, but abroad. One such artist abroad is Takashi Murakami, who established Japanese Neo-Pop Art as a genre all its own. Through his blend of both traditional Japanese technique and modern day pop culture, he produces work which serves as a representation of the past, present, and foreseeable future of art. His piece, Flowers On the Island Closest to Heaven, would make a compelling addition to any Art History textbook that would have it.
To fully understand Takashi Murakami’s somewhat controversial style and subject matter is to first consider what it represents as a product of Japanese history and tradition. Toshusai Sharaku’s Otanji Oniji in the Role of Yakko Edobe, dated 1794, is an iconic piece of Japanese Edo period art. It is an example of “ukiyo-e”, woodblock prints which depicted popular symbols of life’s pleasure and indulgence at the time[1]. This particular print features a famous kabuki theater performer in the midst of an action-packed scene. It demonstrates the art style’s characteristic thick, bold lines, used here in a manner which lends itself to the actor’s intense facial expression: eyebrows furrowed, mouth downturned in an unforgiving scowl. His hair is stark black against stark white skin, another common thread. Ukiyo-e is perhaps most recognizable for its employment of flat, bold color, which further allows each shape to contrast with the surrounding elements. The various colored layers of his costume sit on one plane, neither overlapping nor blending as would be expected of European art from the same time period. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean it wouldn’t have historical precedence to exist within that time and place.
While not considered serious fine art in Japan, ukiyo-e prints were a highly acclaimed and desirable import for Europe and America.[2]This can perhaps be attributed to the “isolation era” of Japanese trade[3]. As the Japanese were only permitted to trade with the Dutch at the time, their ukiyo-e prints, ceramics, textiles, and other decorative goods became items of luxury throughout Europe. They would even go on to inspire a phenomenon known as “Japonisme”, wherein Westerners studied, replicated, and adapted traditional Japanese-style art. Vincent Van Gogh admired ukiyo-e prints for their exotic, hand-crafted appearance, and himself replicated and modified a print by artist Hiroshige [4]. The influence of ukiyo-e prints has shown to be widespread not only across continents, but across time.
Our own Takashi Murakami pays homage to the flat colors and bold lines of ukiyo-e prints through his creation, Flowers On the Island Closest to Heaven. This 2018 silkscreen print features what have become the most recognizable motif within his art since he came to prominence at the turn of the century: graphic, colorful, smiling flowers. They’re undeniably cartoonish, distinct from one another only in their individual color schemes. Like ukiyo-e prints, each color is flat and undisturbed by the surrounding shapes. Each is perfectly symmetrical, with 12 petals, 2 eyes, and a massive open-mouthed smile directed at the viewer. Some flowers overlap to occupy the full expanse of the canvas, which offers a modern twist on the traditionally single-planed, asymmetrical composition of ukiyo-e prints and lends Flowersan almost psychedelic quality. Because of their over-simplified form, the flowers are iconic and instantly memorable. Their connection to ukiyo-e prints could seem contrived, but Murakami himself has pioneered an art movement which reinforces this relationship.
In 2000, he published his “Superflat” theory in the catalog of an exhibition he curated for the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles[5]. It gave name to the modern Japanese interpretation of traditional Japanese paintings, and further asserted that their shared flat picture planes represented the lack of distinction between high and low culture. His work seeks to “[repackage] elements usually considered "low" or subcultural and [present] them in the "high-art" market.[6]” This further connects to the political history of ukiyo-e paintings, which saw popularity at a time in Japanese history when the structure of government and blossoming economy allowed all segments of the population to take interest in and acquire art[7]. This resulted in the creation of art that appealed to the common people rather than the most “elite” members of society, much like 1960’s era Pop Art!
Takashi Murakami’s Flowers gains most of its visual punch from its Pop Art reminiscent qualities. One of Andy Warhol’s pieces,Marilyn Diptych,can lend further insight into the visual and intellectual themes of Murakami’s art. The diptych featured a photograph of the recently deceased Marilyn Monroe, an icon of sex, pop culture, and an example of the potentially devastating impact of fame. The close-cropped image of her face is reduced to only a few flat colors against a gold background, so that only her most recognizable features stand out much like they would in a ukiyo-e print. The image is imperfectly duplicated across the canvas to create a grid of Marilyn caricatures smiling lifelessly back at the viewer. The second half of the diptych is a colorless version of the first where only the bold black shadow layer of the first remain. Here, Marilyn’s ink is progressively fading from left to right with each row, creating the feeling that she herself is fading from existence.
Marilyn Diptychboth plays into and critiques the nature of American pop culture in the 1950’s, which was increasingly dominated by idolization of Hollywood stars. To this day they are both both placed on pedestals akin to religious figures[8], and degraded to symbols that only represent the suggestion of a real human with emotions and reactions to public perception. While clearly a follower of the Pop Art movement, Murakami’s Superflat art movement is also firmly rooted in its allusion to quintessentially Japanese pop culture. Post-World War 2 Japan was characterized by a growing demand for cheap entertainment. Theorized to have been introduced to Japan via American occupation, comics and cartoons (“manga” and “anime” in Japanese) became a popular form of escapism amidst the increasingly strained economic status and subsequent rapid industrialization of Japanese society[9]. Murakami frequently injects his work with nods to its art and character stylizations. The anthropomorphized flower in Flowers On the Island Closest to Heaven is just one in his cast of recurring characters, which he claims represent different parts of his psyche[10]. His other works feature a cheekily smiling mouse named Mr. DOB, who symbolizes a Japanese spin on a familiar icon of Western media, “jellyfish eyes” inspired by an unsettling creature of Japanese folklore, and Miss Ko2, who represents the quintessential over-sexualized anime girl. These symbols of Japanese pop culture, much like the Hollywood starlets of mid 20thcentury America, represent both the good and bad associated with shallow and media-obsessed consumers.
Beyond the aesthetic and theoretical similarities between Marilyn Diptychand Flowers On the Island Closest to Heaven,Warhol and Murakami are extremely like-minded in their employed philosophies on the business and marketing of their works. Andy Warhol was not only a famed artist, but became a celebrity all his own through his acknowledgement and appropriation of the influence that celebrities held over the market. He had the makings of a star: an iconic look, an eccentric personality, and lots of famous friends. Like Duchamp, his work often made inflammatory statements about art and society. He was deliberately flippant to hide his own tenacity for discipline and hard work, contributing to his cold yet effortlessly cool persona[11]. Warhol immersed himself in the local New York night life, making an even bigger name for himself rubbing elbows with the same Hollywood stars whose existence he called into question with his work. He could eventually name David Bowie, Betsey Johnson, Madonna, Grace Jones, Liza Minelli, and many more among his friends. Eventually, a bona fide clique was formed: Warhol superstars[12]. The rotating cast of New York personalities engaged in a mutually beneficial relationship with Warhol, collaborating on and featuring in some of his works, and notably accompanying him on his social outings to generate publicity. The superstars’ existence was an exemplification of one of his most famed quotes: “In the future, everyone will be world-famous for 15 minutes.[13]”
Takashi Murakami has undoubtedly taken a page from Warhol’s book in his own endeavors as an artist seeking relevance. Murakami is very active on platforms such as Instagram, where he frequently shares images of his work, behind the scenes snapshots, and even selfies with famous collaborators and fans. His knack for new media has garnered him 1.2 million followers on Instagram, increasing demand and driving up his market value as an artist. He has also collaborated with a wide variety of notable players on the pop culture stage. In 2002, Murakami collaborated with designer Marc Jacobs on a collection for Louis Vuitton[14], which cemented him as an artist with international reach and made him a household name in Japan. He created Kanye West’s iconic cartoon bear mascot, which features on the cover art for his 2007 album Graduation and the animated music video for its single Good Morning, which Murakami also directed. He produced a collaborative sculpture with Pharrell Williams in 2009, and went on to collaborate with him by creating a music video for his remix of a Hatsune Miku song. Hatsune Miku is a hugely popular Vocaloid software voicebank personified through the image of an anime pop star, a reflection of Murakami’s roots.
Takashi Murakami is an artist whose work merges stereotypically low-brow content with the practice of fine art. It also represents a respect and reimagining for the work of artist’s past. His eye for rewarding collaborations, along with his social media savvy, stand to make sure his work stays relevant for years to come. When asked about “straddling the line” between art and commercial branding, two massive facets of both Pop Art and the Japanese Neo-Pop Art movement he spearheads, he stated, “I don't think of it as straddling. I think of it as changing the line. What I've been talking about for years is how in Japan, that line is less defined. Both by the culture and by the post-War economic situation. Japanese people accept that art and commerce will be blended; and in fact, they are surprised by the rigid and pretentious Western hierarchy of "high art." In the West, it certainly is dangerous to blend the two because people will throw all sorts of stones. But that's okay—I'm ready with my hard hat[15].” His tenacity has driven him to a level of success that is worthy of recognition, especially from the fine art world, which will benefit from the modern and relevant subgenre of art he represents, and his work will feel right at home between the pages of the same book that recognizes the foundational art movements which made him the artist he is today.
Works Cited:
[1]"Ukiyo-e Japanese Prints Movement Overview." The Art Story. Accessed May 14, 2019. https://www.theartstory.org/movement-ukiyo-e-japanese-woodblock-prints.htm.
[2]Stokstad, Marilyn, and Michael Watt Cothren. Art History. 5th ed. Vol. 4. Boston: Pearson Education, 2014, 826.
[3]"Historical Background: The Edo Period." The Edo Period in Japanese History. February 08, 2013. Accessed May 14, 2019. http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/articles/t/the-edo-period-in-japanese-history/.
[4]Stokstad, Marilyn, and Michael Watt Cothren. Art History. 5th ed. Vol. 6. Boston: Pearson Education, 2014, 996.
[5]Hebdige, Dick (2007), "Flat Boy vs. Skinny: Takashi Murakami and the Battle for "Japan"", in Schimmel, Paul (ed.), ©Murakami, Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles/Rizzoli International Publications, Inc.
[6]Rothkopf, Scott (2007), "Takashi Murakami: Company Man", in Schimmel, Paul (ed.), ©Murakami, Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles/Rizzoli International
[7]Stokstad, Marilyn, and Michael Watt Cothren. Art History. 5th ed. Vol. 5. Boston: Pearson Education, 2014, 823.
[8]Stokstad, Marilyn, and Michael Watt Cothren. Art History. 5th ed. Vol. 6. Boston: Pearson Education, 2014, 1092.
[9]"Popular Culture in Post-World War II Japan." Indiana University Northwest. Accessed May 14, 2019. http://www.iun.edu/~hisdcl/G369_2002/postwar culture Allison 1-3.htm.
[10]Goldstein, Andrew M. "The Psychedelic World of Takashi Murakami." Artspace. March 21, 2013. Accessed May 14, 2019. https://www.artspace.com/magazine/interviews_features/close_look/the_psychedelic_world_of_takashi_murakami-5204.
[11]Metcalf, Stephen. "Andy Warhol, Cold and Mute, Is the Perfect Artist for Our Times." The Atlantic. December 06, 2018. Accessed May 14, 2019. https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2019/01/andy-warhol-pop-art-whitney/576412/.
[12]"Warhol Superstars: A Who's Who of the Factory Scene." TheArtGorgeous. August 23, 2018. Accessed May 14, 2019. https://theartgorgeous.com/warhol-superstars-whos-factory-scene/.
[13]Martin, Gary. "'Fifteen Minutes of Fame' - the Meaning and Origin of This Phrase." Phrasefinder. Accessed May 14, 2019. https://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/fifteen-minutes-of-fame.html.
[14]Rothkopf, Scott (2007), "Takashi Murakami: Company Man", in Schimmel, Paul (ed.), ©Murakami, Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles/Rizzoli International
[15]Perez, Magdalene, “The AI Interview: Takashi Murakami.” Artinfo. June 9, 2006. Accessed May 14, 2019.