LIFE IMITATES ART

Recently, Laurie and I attended a National Gallery of Victoria members' after hours viewing of the current Yayoi Kusama exhibition. It is an extraordinarily comprehensive survey of her life's work. There are examples of her creative expression from as early as 10 years old, through to the present. This overview of her creative output has been years in the making and is a great credit to the NGV, and especially to Wayne Crothers the Senior Curator, Asian Art.

I was particularly drawn to the examples of her 1960's Infinity Net paintings, which she started creating after moving to New York in the late 1950's. Above is a small detail from a very large painting. It seems to me that her preoccupation is about opening oneself to infinity and in the process losing the sense of self. An experience that occurs in deep meditation.

In the current exhibition are a number of 'Infinity rooms' that explore this idea, and indeed create the illusion of being suspended in an infinite space.

Here is Laurie floating among an infinity of coloured spheres dotted with points of light.

This is the best view I could manage of the room with the minimal inclusion of people. 

When we left the Gallery Laurie pointed out this unexpected rainbow effect sparkling on the surface of the Yarra River. It was caused by light from the setting sun being refracted through glass panels on the Queen St. bridge. An interesting example of life imitating art.

Two weeks ago I posted a photo of an ikebana I made using the yellowing stems of Umbrella Grass Cyperus alternifolius. I had cut quite a lot and saved the un-used stems, which this last week I used to create a new ikebana.

I arranged the Umbrella grass in a rough asymmetric fan. Some of the stems had become bright yellow so they are graduated from left to right to where one of them retains a mostly green colouring. To me it looks like a burst of joy with red at its heart. The red Nandina leaves are also dried. 

The tapering porcelain vase is by the Victorian ceramicist, Arnaud Barraud.

 

Greetings from Christopher

9th February 2025