Yayoi Kusama: Great art Explained

[@lynliberty4972]

Thanks!

[@GreatArtExplained]

Thanks Lyn - Much Appreciated!

[@bettefried8129]

Thank “thank

[@VodeniMedved]

"Artist like Kusama, make us question our understanding of mental illness, and see it not as an "obstacle" but as just another part of the human condition." - Oh, I love this sentence.

[@sarahwatts7152]

I also really like that part of her journey is about seeking treatment. So many people struggle a lot harder than they might need to, go it alone.

[@chucknickerson9223]

Non-normative neural behavior is an obstacle to fitting in, but with work it can be so much more; with work.

[@antoniolima1068]

sense feminism came to power there is a relentless push to normalize mental unhealthy individuals, bravo, stunning and brave, when society decays because of your misplaced wishfull thinking dont cry wolf.

[@fiscal-de-linha]

this is not the progressive mantra you think it is??? it is a privileged person's dismissal of mentally ill people's suffering and horror. hallucinations arent fun ways of getting you cool art, sure they may have those creative outcomes, but they are horrifying and disturbing for the individual. that sentence you quoted is an awful, awful thing to say. a truly ignorant and cruel statement. other than that, the video was very interesting and informative, but that was a very mean thing to say, even if the intention was good, you ought to be more educated. i mean he even mentions van gogh, a man who mutilated himself, literally chopped off his own ear. "it's not an obstacle!! it boosts creativity!!" yes im sure van gogh loved the emotional and physical pain he was under. im sure it was easy for him to live like that. you MUST become a better person

[@fiscal-de-linha]

like yayoi literally checked herself into a hospital for the mentally ill and takes meds to keep her mind healthy and some dude on youtube is going "nooo dont become mentally healthy your art is so sexy aha mental illness isnt an obstacle i swear your suffering is irrelevant to me because your suffering produces art that i like" you know???? the lack of empathy is unbelievable

[@coriolix]

I've always wanted to see one of Kusama's installations in person, but I wasn't aware of how much she struggled and how her ideas were stolen. I'm so glad there are videos like this which can spread the knowledge. Thanks for taking the time to make it!

[@AleQueenofSpace]

it is beautiful. I just sat there, trully no more than a minute and stared... you lose yourself so fast

[@f_r_e_d]

Def go next time!! I went twice with my friend Psilo and it was so worth it

[@SolangeScarlette]

I really hope you get to they are incredible in person.

[@Bubbaboowoo]

2 hrs ago I managed to buy tickets to her exhibition at the Tate, check it out you will get tickets 🙏💖

[@memeo8922]

Her art wasn't stolen. All art is an imitation or inspiration of other art. It was the fact she was not acknowledged by the artists, which was probably because she wasn't liked by the art world at the time for her over promotion to achieve fame and/or because she was a woman.

[@JohnDrummondPhoto]

Years of art school education in the 1970s: lots of discussion of Oldenburg, Warhol, and Samaras. Not a word of Kusama. At least she's still alive to reap her rewards of recognition.

[@rockyroad7345]

Same here. I was an Art History minor in the late 70's, during which I took several post graduate level classes. Going thru my voluminous text books, I found one dismissive partial sentence naming her and Yoko Ono simply as "Japanese artists". This is such a fascinating lecture and yet as a non-artist, I identify strongly with her work having always been fascinated with polka dots. Her textiles are astonishingly beautiful.

[@gnarbeljo8980]

GADS that's just awful. She's well recognized in Scandinavia. Like Bourgeois she's one of those incredibly strong female artists who also have struggled with their baggage all their lives and made it big only very late in life, yet both have been making absolutely groundbreaking and entirely unique work since firever it seems like. Sexism, racism and chummy collective middleclass dictonomy in general in the art world needs to be obliterated for good.

[@thisguy1356]

Was largely unfamiliar.. disappointing.

[@helenb8505]

And if you watch the documentary on Hulu, the men, including Warhol, we're definitely influenced by her.

[@yunwahlam7456]

When I saw the title of this video, I thought: "Kusama? In a serious art channel like this one?" Then, in your usual calm voice, you told us that attitudes like mine had almost destroyed her life. Thank you for teaching me a good lesson.

[@GreatArtExplained]

Thank you - for taking the time to watch!

[@Milubee]

I have to agree. My professor made her seem so uninteresting, mentioning her shortly as "the polka dot artist" only to rave about Oldenburg's soft scuptures for 3 hours a while later...

[@l8dysyskeykisuke60]

@Yun Wah Lam it's the very reason why I collect her paintings and watercolors. I learned some very interesting things about her. I look at her hand strokes intensely and see her "working" on each section. Fact that her work is so controlled - as in how she applied it to the canvas itself, simple & so beautifully applied to the canvas and paper. She is still very much loved here in New York and to hear different aspects as one learns about her path, she's been inspiring me since I was a child and an adult who's had a legit art co-op. For me she still is far above Warhol. I don't like every series she's done BUT - People steal, Warhol was a jerky personality akin to any other self absorbed mama's boy with his own mental issues. I think for myself, Mr Warhol's lack of sympathy to other artists after I learned about him via a art school doc..with all of those men and women which included Yayoi, that helped in him the mass productions of his "fine" art -I would remember seeing her polka dots and smiling as a young woman. In NY then as it is now, is as cut throat as ever. In the art installation world. Kusama brought some very cool visuals over the years and I am happy to finally see her work gain the utmost respect. I love this woman's work.

[@NefariousSpineLizard]

@@l8dysyskeykisuke60 Omg can we see your collection somewhere!?

[@l8dysyskeykisuke60]

@@NefariousSpineLizard Sorry darling, I wasn't planning on putting up my collection. If I do it would be a temporary installation locally in New York. Or on loan to one of the larger galleries in Manhattan. One day. In the meantime - if you can collect her work do so, I love looking at it - Pumpkin's

[@cynthiaignisdivine]

I'm so glad she got to experience fame in life, too many artists are only recognized for ther brilliance after death.

[@brokenrecord3523]

It does question why we do art: for fame, for others, for ourself?

[@Emlaladeo]

@@brokenrecord3523all of the above

[@GoldenWreck]

Yep, and she's still alive in her 90's and thriving.

[@akirebara]

Imagine working months on your work only to be dismissed by the critics, and then a couple months later you hear those same critics applauding the plagiarized version of your work. Fact is, it was in the 50s/60s/70s and being an Asian woman artist was unheard of. Being a white, male artist who already had seats on the art world table... well, you get the picture. Ms. Kusama is currently 93 years old. I hope she knows how much the world loves her work today.

[@helpfulcommenter]

imagine building a whole career out of an amazing style of art only to have a generation of people see it as nothing more than a background for selfies.

[@akirebara]

@@helpfulcommenter ugh, I know. I just hope that a tiny portion of them will Google Yayoi Kusama & inspire them to be artists themselves. But in this age of narcissism, I’m pessimistic.

[@standupstraight9691]

Wouldnt be much of an artist without suffering. Or feeling sorry for oneself.

[@helpfulcommenter]

@@standupstraight9691 That's just a toxic myth. Plenty of brilliant artists are very well adjusted and mentally healthy.

[@biteaway8299]

Art that craves recognition by the public / critics is not art but entertainment craftsmanship 😘

[@runswithscissorsfull]

It's so heartbreaking to hear her story. They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, but it says a lot when the guys take all the credit and become famous, and I've barely heard of Kusama. It's practically character assassination. I'm glad she's getting more recognition. Her art speaks to me

[@itsgonnabeanaurfromme]

She is more well known nowadays than nearly all of those men. Except that talentless hack, warhol. Also, no that's not what character assassination means.

[@brokenrecord3523]

How can one be disappointed with Andy Warhol. How can you have such high expectations? It seems, to me, that a lot of the art of the 60's and 70's was about attention. AW didn't steal her art, but her fame.

[@blubeagle55]

I am a female artist myself living with a disability. I don't say this lightly, because I despise when the word inspiration gets thrown out there so casually, but, Kusama-sensei, you are very much an inspiration to me and my own art. You are amazing, your work is amazing and I humbly thank you for being a trailblazer for someone like me.

[@amb600cd0]

hell yeah brother 👊

[@NightHawkExpress]

The way you drew comparisons to Kusama’s infinity rooms and the ultimate infinity room, the internet, was really beautiful.

[@elatedmaniac]

Her story is so beautiful in its tragedy. It's really astounding how rebellious she was, despite her crippling anxiety and depression, coupled with the difficulty of being a woman and Asian in the art scene when she was.

[@magictrees101]

Yeah she's pretty amazing really

[@PsilocybinTherapy]

Honestly, this is the best video I've seen so far! Yayoi Kusama's life and work are beyond belief, but the way you expressed all this in such a short amount of time had me almost in tears at the very end!

[@GreatArtExplained]

Thanks 🙏

[@helpfulcommenter]

there's a real actual documentary about her that's worth seeing

[@kevinromero245]

hands down, I thought the Bosch and Rothko ones were good, this was a perfect distillation of theory and cultural history and so much more. Love this channel so much

[@JoseMoreno-yg5rs]

I also was almost brought into tears lol

[@crovaxxx1982]

@@helpfulcommenter Why is this not considered a "real actual" documentary? Bit of a TV snob are we?

[@ladykaydoesart7702]

Was not expecting Kusama, this is truly inspiring. I never knew that it was a way she was dealing with things internally. I feel like the recent popularity of her Infinity rooms has brought about things like the Van Gogh and Monet Experience exhibitions that are becoming so common. Amazing work as always, you make me want to teach art again.

[@puspaghalley1998]

I have been struggling artist for many years and when I watched this, i broke down because she held on. this means alot to me. this video has uplifted me. thank you so much for sharing

[@GreatArtExplained]

Thanks for watching 🙏

[@f_r_e_d]

Thank you for bringing light to Kusama’s work. I always loved her work and was unaware of people stealing from her but not surprised. For any young aspiring artist, please tread carefully when telling anyone your dreams. There are mediocre people with deep pockets and endless connections that can take your idea and run with it. I’ve experienced this and I know others who have. This is the art world. For every great original idea, you will have many replicas, but their work will have no soul. Don’t be defeated by this. Work on your ideas in silence. Find an angle of opportunity to display your work and do it. Some roads are longer than others but it’s your journey, stay focused ✊

[@brandonsaunders7515]

Facts!

[@ratridarmadi]

Thanks for this advice. I'm not artist and I'm not young anymore but it happened as well in academic workfield where others can steal yoir ideas and make it as if they are the expertise and pioneer🤷‍♀️

[@Ms.Laterholmes5253]

I love the story of women Georgia O’Keeffe as one of my favorite all-time painters and that she found this woman in Japan was a little girl and she got to look at her books is fabulous

[@vanceofthewall475]

Haven't studied art formally, but just hearing you talk about it with such passion is so refreshing! Hope your channel keeps growing!!

[@hannahrobbins1017]

I second that! Art history is one of the classes I’ve always regretted not taking in college

[@emanuelcarvalho8510]

@@hannahrobbins1017 never to late to do it :)

[@MTMF.london]

@@hannahrobbins1017 Art history classes hardly cover female artists.

[@constancewalsh3646]

It's not the plagiarism, which exists in every area of life, it is the lack of acknowledgement, respect, gratitude, unity toward those upon whose shoulders we stand. I see it in every sphere, and it saddens me. It contributes in great part to the isolation, depression and pain of persons, especially artists, who tend to have profound, and profoundly felt, emotional wounds, and who gift us with their ways of making connections to our bleeding wounds and to the depths of others. Thank you for this magnificent video on an artist I did not know of.

[@KidFresh71]

When I was around 10 years old, I would get terrible migraines and scream out to my mom: "The circles are eating me!" So I felt Kusama's visual hallucination deeply, or dots coming to life and consuming her.

[@gnarbeljo8980]

Same, but I was 4-6 years old and it struck me when I laid down in bed to sleep. Very frightening. My dad stashed a matress under my bed and would lay down on the floor until I slept (often snoring before I fell asleep lol). I know what it's like to experience clinical depression. I deeply admire Kusamas work and ability to face the tremendous challenges with such strength and determination, and can only imagine her feelings of defeat when established white men got all the recognition for works derivative of hers that were discarded. Her infinity rooms were so incredibly before their time! She managed to introduce ideas far before artwork involving fractals, VR and computer renderings were even concieved, today often used the same way her installations were meant to: to alleviate acute angst. All of it is remarkable!

[@kevintfaircloth]

It's astounding how Kusama has always been so far ahead of the times

[@jackwalter5030]

This was brilliant. I am 65, and only began hearing of Kusama's work in the last twenty or thirty years. Her life shows us how minority women artists are marginalized and dismissed, much to the detriment of our culture. Thank you for doing this video!

[@12thDecember]

"Filled With the Brilliance of Light" reminds me of neurons firing in the brain. Thank you for producing this video. I had never heard of Yayoi Kusama, and am deeply impressed not only by her imaginative and stunning art, but also by the extraordinary strength of her will and almost supernatural talent.

[@raulpinto2436]

"Each image they take of Infinity room joins the Internet, itself Infinite" Kusawa achieved something beyond even her imagination! Thank you for this video.

[@JackieOdonnel]

I am so glad I found your channel. Even though your videos are just 15-20 minutes, I feel like you do a short deep-dive into the lives of the artists you feature here. Fascinating! You don't just skim the surface. This one was no exception. Thank you.

[@mackenziekarsonovich1073]

My grandmother had schizophrenia and also loved to paint. She would paint faces or birds on gourds, or little houses on blocks of wood. I think that’s why I love Kusama’s work so much, even before I knew about her mental illness.

[@daughterofsekhmet81]

I had never heard of her until a few days ago when I was on a fashion forum. They were discussing the new LV Kusama collection and I thought the dots were just quirky pop art stuff, but holy crap I have so much respect for this amazing lady now. I bought a wallet from the collection mainly for the cute pumpkin stamp on the inside but after watching this I’m honored to own a piece of her art. I know she didn’t make the wallet herself or anything but now every time I look at it I’ll remember and appreciate what those dots represent. As someone who struggles with mental health myself, it’s hard the keep going sometimes and Yayoi is an inspiration.

[@myosotiskills]

Im going to see her infinity rooms in a few weeks! I'm so glad this video popped up in my recommendeds so I could learn more about her before visiting. I was excited before, and now I feel like i will appreciate and respect the experience even more.

[@SuzanneBaruch]

Wow. I studied modern art at a *women's college* and I don't recall any of my textbooks mentioning this talented artist. Her work is extraordinary! Thank you for sharing this.

[@awkwardnerd.]

The fact that it's women's college is pretty ironic

[@SuzanneBaruch]

@@awkwardnerd. yes ... it is.

[@MTMF.london]

@@SuzanneBaruch But they all teach men's place on earth, their history and their achievements, don't they?

[@ArchPandara]

@@MTMF.london What does this mean?

[@xyz7572]

@@ArchPandara what is it you don’t get? Like this video shows several times, women’s accomplishments are often pushed down as men get or shamelessly _take_ credit for their work. It’s like that in all parts of life. Ever wondered why there have been so few female Nobel prize winners throughout history, for example? Apart from the fact that women were often completely dissuaded and banned from even entering higher education simply because of the fact that they had been born female, the brilliant women who _did_ manage to get higher education and went on to make great scientific discoveries often got little to no credit for their work anyway, as their male assistants or male coworkers got the credit for the female scientists’ work. Ever heard of Lise Meitner? No, I think not. She was one on the very forefront of physics and chemistry, and made discoveries that were so revolutionary within the field of radioactivity that they were awarded the Nobel prize. But they didn’t give it to her, because she was a woman. They gave it to her male lab assistant, who turned out to be selfish enough to readily accept being given credit for her work, getting a _massive_ amount of money and recognition within the scientific community for discoveries that their entire university knew _he_ hadn’t actually made. Subsequently, despite helping create an entire new field of scientific study, few people today have ever even heard her name. And she is just one example. The only reason Marie Curie was awarded her Nobel prizes was because when the Nobel committee tried to forcefully give the awards to her husband, he had backbone enough to refuse to take credit for his wife’s work. He, unlike many men who don’t mind taking easy credit for women’s accomplishments, respected her deeply, and since the discoveries were so groundbreaking that a significant amount of people knew about it and thought it should be awarded the prize, the committee couldn’t just pretend her discoveries didn’t exist or weren’t important in order to not let a women get the prize. And this happens everywhere, all the time, and all throughout history. These are just a few examples of extremely brilliant women who men have actively tried to take away credit from, there are millions more in all walks of life. Men always assume that other men are the ones who make discoveries or inventions, and then they use that faulty assumption as “evidence” that women are less intelligent and less accomplished, and then use _that_ faulty conclusion as a reasoning to why they think that women can’t invent things or discover things or create things. It’s circular reasoning created and upheld solely by the conviction of many men that women aren’t - and shouldn’t - be worthy of getting credit for what they actually do.

[@disharibera1534]

Kusama having lived through the century (a period of unprecedented global turbulence and seismic shifts in every sphere imaginable), imbibed the radical/unapologetic global persona that defied conventionalism with gritty determination. She has championed her cause against biases (be it gender, or otherwise) with such artistic brilliance that it is almost impossible to not be awed by her achievements. Her tryst with mental illness, and the subsequent cathartic expression of it in her visceral works, not only makes her stand apart from other artists, but also creates an intimate space of unique familiarity, that both lulls and shocks the audience in tandem. Thank you for such a brilliant video! The research and dedication put into it, shines through.

[@GreatArtExplained]

Please leave a comment (even a short one) and "like" the video. It really helps promote the channel on KZbin. I appreciate it! James

[@laotze3439]

thank you for your work!

[@ladykaydoesart7702]

Thank you so much to your contribution to the art world by making these videos and furthering all of our understandings of these great work, locations, and artists. I would really like to see a piece on The Black Paintings by Franscisco Goya. Always been fasinated by the idea that they were painted without the intention of ever being seen by the public.

[@JJONNYREPP]

i think that yentob did a film on her... kzbin.info/www/bejne/pGmtYaGkbpyBrck

[@eriktempelman2097]

Done. Thanks.

[@GreatArtExplained]

@@ladykaydoesart7702 That is planned!

[@contemporaryartissue]

Terrific video, James. My congratulations. One of the most comprehensive and accessible overviews on Yayoi Kusama's life and work. My best wishes from Belgium, Julien (CAI director)

[@GreatArtExplained]

Thanks Julienne - I’m a fan of your channel so I appreciate the compliment 🙏

[@contemporaryartissue]

@@GreatArtExplained The pleasure is all mine!

[@taylorparker6813]

It's hard to describe the joy i experienced when i saw a new Great Art episode, and then when i saw it was Kusama?! Pure joy. Amazing job. Thank you.

[@prd1073]

Thank you for this thoroughly absorbing video. I'm glad this artist has finally achieved the fame that the misogynist "art world" denied her for so many decades.

[@nickinportland]

These videos should have millions of views. I don’t know if I’ve ever watched a KZbin channel that is so expertly narrated.

[@shaktiwood7508]

My goodness. This was such a breathtaking and moving piece. She’s such an incredible artist but so much pain and injustice lie beneath such seemingly lighthearted and fantastical works. It brings so much depth and a completely new perspective on her work. Thank you!!

[@satbiym5378]

I remember right before I saw the infinity mirrored room (the souls of millions of light years away) at The Broad in Los Angeles, whilst standing in the queue to be the next set of people inside the room for 60seconds. I happened to read the museum info card, which struck a chord in me and primed me to go inside the room with the reverence it deserved. A lot of art is about showing the world through the artist's point of view, about helping the audience walk in their shoes. But Yayoi Kusama managed to do what few can and the room in particular, like the Broad info card said, "offers an unusual glimpse into the workings of a mind that is seldom quiet. (...) Kusama confronts the immensity of reality by searching at once for infinitude and oblivion." The way the lights in the room would flicker on and off, and in such a way that appropriately visualized the happenings of my own experience with my own mind. Like you mentioned, this room might seem simple and silly at first, but the 60 seconds I was in that room was enough to humble, validate and confirm my own lived experiences and assert that I was not alone in this experience. So, I am forever in debt to Yayoi Kusama for that. I liked what you said about "many people want to separate the art from the artist('s personal struggles). But why should they? yayoi kusama's works are deeply personal to her lived experience and her art allows us to see her illness as not the only thing about her, but one part of her greater whole" which is the point. I was in tears by the end of this video, your take impressed upon the audience how personal and yet also steadying this work was to Kusama without exploiting the reasons why. I am very grateful to have seen this. The first thing I did when I got the notif for this video was call my mom and tell her that your yt channel (I have recced this channel to everyone I know ahaha, so they knew why exactly who i was referring to) had done a piece on yayoi kusama and how excited I was to watch it. This video definitely delivered on that excitement appropriately. Thank you for your hard work. Thank you.

[@fairlysleepy]

I never thought I'd cry at an art video but here I am 😭 She's so inspiring and a role model to all those Asian women out there.

[@argon1613]

This channel is the best art channel on the internet. I've rewatched every video at least three times because of all the information on them. Thank you.

[@GreatArtExplained]

Thank you!

[@DavidLovins67]

Wow, I went to art school for years, and she was never mentioned. I love her work.

[@aiyannaboykins7888]

I love Kusama! I have a mini art book of some of her work, it's called "Hi, Konnichiwa". I love her paintings of polka-dot pumpkins, flowers, and mushrooms. Great video as always!

[@koleyw932]

Her affliction has given the world beauty.

[@rebeccaketner816]

Love, respect and adore this great lady, and her art.

[@RaineHoltz]

I'll never get over how good your channel is. Everything is wonderfully made: images, text, concepts and narration no less. Never stop what you do, please!

[@nickbreslin6371]

That last quote…. She must have felt extreme isolation throughout her life. Amazing that she fought this by creating communal experiences.

[@Lumophobia]

This brought me to tears as someone with OCD and an artist myself watching her achive obliteration brought alot of emotion out of me

[@Myluz12]

Woah, what's astounding is almost everything is a hindrance to her art career, but that passion and drive of hers is so enduring. It's the first time I've heard of her story and as an artist myself, it's genuinely inspiring. Great video and choice of artist to feature.

[@juaokane5864]

so glad you covered her! she's been my favourite contemporary fine artist for years. when i was a teenager my sister and i flew to stockholm to see a major retrospective of her work because we were both such big fans ❤️ it was incredibly special getting to see *so* much of her work in that exhibition, i'll always treasure the experience.

[@treatsdomi9581]

Her quote at the end is so simple, but cant help but think it reflects her feelings pretty well

[@sammyb1001]

Just saw my first Kusama exhibit and totally BLOWN. AWAY. The absolute beauty of it gave me an insight into seeing inside the Milky Way. Thank you. Thank you for going on despite the family poison. You are beautiful.

[@PinkieSugar]

This was unexpectedly shocking/intruiging! I was so absorbed throughout the whole video, Kusama is such a fascinating character and important piece of modern art history. She is a true artist. So many creative and original ideas

[@nataliecolombo4914]

As a complete art novice with no prior knowledge of the art world, your videos have made it both interesting and accessible. I look forward to watching each one! They help me understand and appreciate art in a much more thoughtful way. Thank you!

[@bevanmorgan3946]

Thank you for another wonderful entry. Your ability to succinctly present so much info in such an accessible way is exceptional.

[@NoNameNoLastName]

You can't separate the art from the artist. Your videos are opening my eyes to art that until recently I would simply discard. Thank you.

[@revontulet]

This video gave me goosebumps. I never really knew why she was famous, even though I’ve seen some of her art before. Thank you for this.

[@Elle0704]

Kismit. I saw the upcoming Louis Vuitton collection with Yayoi, but didn’t know anything about her. To have your video pop up in my recommendations proves the algorithm sometimes works. As always, thank you for an amazing art history lesson I could watch in my pajamas and not leave the house.

[@Writerdane]

Thank you for another excellent video! I went to Tokyo and visited a museum dedicated to her in a suburb north of shinjuku. It was quite small but it showed a lot of her early work. There was only one infinite room, also an early work i think. While I do not fully understand her and her art, i relate to her better than most artistic geniuses. Stepping into one of her infinite rooms is like glimpsing into the thought processes of God. I never expected to be so moved by it. One day i hope to see one of her obliteration rooms.

[@ediesedgwick4462]

The ambition, determination, drive and motivation of Kusama is unbelievable, especially in light of all that she went through. If one could bottle it, I'd absolutely pay top dollar for it.

[@917095sin]

Brilliant! Its so wild how many people she’s “influenced” over the years! People that I knew of but had no idea about her!

[@gilliani.4328]

I’m so glad that Kusama is FINALLY getting the positive recognition she always deserved. The art world has always been a man’s world and women’s art had rarely been a acknowledged. Bravo Kusama for never giving up!

[@Fisklina]

I remember seing an exhibition of hers at Moderna Museet in Stockholm a few years back. Even the park outside had the trees covered in polka dots. It was a truly awesome exhibition and I really enjoyed the enormous polka dot paintings and infinity rooms. My favourite was a dark room filled with polka dot painted rice lamps hanging from the ceiling above shallow reflective pools of water with a walking path snaking its way through the room.

[@ericdoe2318]

I was just rewatching your videos just now and a new one! What a day

[@letterZach]

Thanks for covering her. It's eye opening and inspiring to hear her journey as a female artist.

[@tipGasm]

Another absolute BANGER video, Thanks for all you do!

[@dergluckliche4973]

LOVE HER! The infinity room at the Broad in L.A. is mind-bending! Just wish the museum didn't rush people in and out of there, but I understand everyone wants to experience it.

[@RogersJimmy-n4q]

I love her artwork. She is amazing.

[@perlezhitnitskiy4444]

Another excellent video! Thank you! I learned a lot about Kusama and her art but also her struggles in the early days.

[@MyMessyMind]

I'd like to thank you for opening up my eyes about Kusama. I'd heard of her briefly before and immediately pegged her work as pompous abstract art, something anyone could produce. I see now how important context is to truly see the bigger picture in her art. Great work, keep it up man.

[@diellensy27]

I've never heard of this artist before. Thanks for enlightening me. I still can't believe I'm not watching something produced by a big production company or network. Quality of your videos are top tier.

[@erikabarragan4733]

I love this Woman.. I'm speechless. 😱This has inspired me beyond belief. I would love to meet her one day. Thank you for Connecting to my soul. I am honored. I am so happy to understand my mind through this and to have acceptance for this miracle gives me the strength to NOT give up... . I feel like I just listened to my story. Thank you Yayoi Kusama for existing and sharing your story. 💓💓💓💓💓 WE ARE TRULY ONE.. NAMASTE

[@catherine4091]

This was absolutely gorgeous to watch. I love art but have always struggled with the analysis and historical context--thank you for making such thorough and well-researched videos!

[@BS-detector]

What a remarkable woman she is. Inspiring, to say the least. Although she was up against so many odds, she persevered...truly an amazing person. Thank you, Yayoi Kusama. 💜

[@Crunyil]

Really interesting video! I always love learning about different talented artists and how they impacted the culture.

[@chinesecabbagefarmer]

BROOO NEW GAE DROPPED! Yessss. i dont want this excitement to come across as patronizing. i feel as though brevity is best in this situation though i could gush for hours about how your channel literally changed my life. its great. you're great. keep going until you stop. until you stop man you can only keep going enjoy yourself please have a haiku. fresh

[@GreatArtExplained]

Thanks 🙏

[@chinesecabbagefarmer]

@@GreatArtExplained 🙏🙏🙏🙏

[@pauline5515]

thank you so puch for making me discover kusama's work, i had never heard of her but it's fascinating, i'll definitely be on the lookout for any exhibition on her career now

[@breianaw]

Wow, that was so incredible to learn about. She is such a huge artists now that it astonishes me that her history is not more well known. I'm not surprised though that her art was consistently stolen by her male counterparts, she has insanely original ideas.

[@hereqnow]

I am so glad that her works are being recognized throughout the world now. Thank you so much for such a touching and inspiring video.

[@jaendhoe3962]

this was so beautiful and heartbreaking in such a short amount of time. fantastic work!

[@ileanad6183]

This is so amazing. I am so moved by her authenticity and inspired by her desire to overcome despite the neverending obstacles she's faced throughout her life. I'm glad she's getting the recognition she deserves.

[@ulicirebeca4038]

I've been waiting for this one for awhile now! Thank-you for this, I have a very important work that requires a thesis and your videos helped me so much!

[@GreatArtExplained]

Good luck! 🙏

[@ulicirebeca4038]

Thank-you!

[@katiehicks3575]

Beautifully done!!! I love her work and appreciate her openness about how her mental health has affected her art. As a therapist who sees many artists, I will definitely be suggesting this video to some of my clients. Thank you again for these videos!

[@seekittycat]

She's an inspiration and always reminds me of how art can help

[@ameliamelia104]

Your last two videos (Botticelli and Yayoi Kusama) are what I've been waiting for so much from your channel. Thank you so much for your incredible work🙌

[@bunnyhopd7315]

My favourite KZbin channel

[@GreatArtExplained]

Thanks 🙏

[@harrietlyall1991]

Yay! Yayoi! ❤❤❤❤❤ I was overjoyed to see this video on one of the giants of contemporary culture and an awesomely honest and inspiring human being, the extraordinary Yayoi Kusama. (Incidentally, I have a beautiful silk nightshirt and matching lace-trimmed slip by French luxury brand Marjolaine, patterned in pink polka dots on a brown background and I realised with pleasure, that this is the designer’s little homage to Yayoi.)

[@mrkommentator5906]

Never heard of her but this videp just made me spent 3 hours on watching documentaries and reading about her work. She should be the feminist icon of art world but somehow never came to be what she deserves! Brilliant

[@alainawilson918]

I was thrilled when I saw a new video was up! Thank you for an excellent look into Kusama’s work

[@julienorseth5348]

Wow, to be so influential to a household name like Warhol and then to be virtually unrecognized for so long. I can't imagine. Her strength and determination is amazing.

[@jamespkinsella5018]

A very informative piece on Kusama, enhancing my view of her work and, more importantly, her contributions to the art world. Thank you.

[@gabeforrest3889]

i am an avid fan of this channel and of kusama so seeing a video from you on her gave me a good heart attack this is so cool

[@VictoriaVlogz]

I have been blessed to experience several of her pieces and installations in person. They are awe inspiring and the scale is mind blowing when you think about the time it took to create these intricate patterns. This documentary was extremely informative and gave me a new respect for her pieces. She truly was a trailblazer.

[@iamrjdennis]

One of my favorite artists! Well done on this video, James, as always! 😊

[@brenmoi]

I love your videos very much. The way you connect the artist with their work in both a personalized and emotional way... it's incredibly insightful. You never do a simple regurgitation of plain facts. You're always giving us their stories, their life experiences, their struggles as important context, that more often than not directly influence the outcomes of their work, which is infinitely more engaging and fascinating. You go beyond the surface level and tell us how these great artists got here in the first place through investigating the surrounding norms of their times, the societal values and political climate they lived in... there's a very humanizing aspect to how you present your information. And that's something I really appreciate: The humane and empathetic aspect to your videos. It can be easy to forget that there was a living, breathing person behind these works, and even easier so to reduce and objectify these artists down to simply culminations of their works, or dates and techniques on a page. For that, I'm really appreciative and grateful. Personally, your videos are a golden standard to how I feel people should teaching be art history or history in general! Truly wonderful work you're doing. Thank you so much for all your hard work!

[@TechWithSean]

Fascinating lady, I did a report on her in college. I really want to see one of her installations in-person sometime.

[@Pyridius]

A stream and a video in one day?!?! We are blessed! Always thankful for new releases :)

[@secretshaman189]

Very interesting vignette. Love the ending, "Polka dots can't stay alone," a metaphor for her life and drive for success.

[@jakevillarreal3711]

This was a really inspiring video. I had no idea how much she had to go through to get the recognition she deserved all along. Incredibly tenacious artist.

[@allypicard9673]

Loved this video. For Yayoi Kusama lovers, the Hirshhorn in Washington, DC will have an exhibit from April 1 to Nov 27, 2022 (“One with Eternity: Yayoi Kusama in the Hirshhorn Collection”). As always, entry is free, but because of high demand, you will need to get a same-day timed pass

[@GreatArtExplained]

The Hirshhorn is such a great museum! Thanks for the info Ally 🙏

[@laurencollins2076]

I went to an exhibition of hers about 20 odd years ago and going into a room. going into that dark cabinet and then being surrounded by the lights I remember was the closest thing of experiencing the infinity of the universe (other than laying out on my front path at night looking up at the stars of course). Thank you so much for this insightful, thoughtful study of such an intriguing, gifted, special lady who really had to fight for well deserved recognition. I have subscribed to your series as well, thank you SO much, really beautiful work, please keep it up

[@GreatArtExplained]

Great Art Explained totally unique merchandise available here - crowdmade.com/collections/greatartexplained

[@patriciaeinstein8281]

Eee AZ

[@allisonBlease]

Yayoi Kusama's art is simply mesmerizing! This video beautifully captures the essence of her work and its impact on contemporary art. Kusama's use of infinity mirrors and polka dots truly reflects her unique perspective on the world. -Allison Blease