Background

Takashi Murakami was born in Tokyo, 1962 (Gagosian.com). Takashi Murakami studied traditional Japanese painting known as Nihonga (as opposed to Yōga, which refers to a western style art), a nineteenth century mixture of Japanese and Western Styles following Japanese conventions. This study was completed at the Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music where Takashi Murakami received his BFA, MFA and PhD (Artificialgallery.co.uk, 2006-2010).

Takashi Murakami’s artistic direction moved to focus towards Japans modern culture, particularly the Otaku culture of Anime and Manga; this interest was because as Takashi Murakami stated “it was more representative of modern day Japanese life” (Artificialgallery.co.uk, 2006-2010).


Founding the Hiropan Factory in 1996 (Tokyo), which would eventually become Kaikai Kiki Co, Takashi Murakami produced and marketed his own style of artwork along with other artists following the same style. Kaikai Kiki Co now functions as a large scale production company and a supportive environment for fostering young Japanese artists. (Artificialgallery.co.uk, 2006-2010).

Personally, and through Kaikai Kiki Takashi Murakami, strongly supports the promotion of Japanese Art to the rest of the world. Two major examples of this is the GEISAI festival in Japan to promote young emerging talent and the supporting and management of young artists working alongside Takashi Murakami as a part of Kaikai Kiki Co (Kaikaikiki.co.jp, 2005)


Not only does Kaikai Kiki Co produce artworks for exhibition around the world but also a large line of collectable items (selling at much lower prices) featuring Takashi Murakami’s signature images (Artificialgallery.co.uk, 2006-2010). Often Compared to Pop arts Andy Warhol, Takashi Murakami blurs the line between consumer culture and art; although unlike Andy Warhol the process is in reverse as Takashi most often makes his art a consumer product (Jonathan Ross, Japanorama, 2007)

Andy Warhol, Consumer Products into art. Takashi Murakami, Art into Consumer Products.

An example of this is Takashi Murakami’s collaboration with Lois Vuitton producing a bag which sold for $5000 and became one of the most copied handbags world wide, even producing a short anime (Superflat Monogram, 2003) which blended the Takashi Murakami’s work and the product together(Jonathan Ross, Japanorama, 2007).


More recently, in 2008 Takashi Murakami was the only visual artist to make The NY Times mist influential people list (artinfo, 2008).

Takashi Murakami continues to work with Kaikai Kiki Co today producing his own Pop art work and working alongside other established and emerging Japanese artists for exhibitions around the world to this day.

Examples of artworks by Takashi Murakami

Miss Ko² (1997), My Lonesome Cowboy (1998), Hiropon (1997) Takashi Murakami explains these human sized sculptures as an obvious part of the contemporary art scene as there is often strong links to contemporary art and pornographic or sexual themes such as homosexuality, masculinity, feminism, and sexualisation. These pieces are often shocking but are in a way Takashi Murakami’s response to that area of contemporary art. These three sculptures are in the common style of Japanese otaku models; both from and their sexualisation. Normally being small models the size of these and their actions makes them the entire move shocking and a possible commentary on the otaku culture. Stew (blue), Stew (red), Stew (Yellow) (1995) These were produced when Takashi Murakami had just arrived in New York and was quite poor and disorientated. Looking back Takashi Murakami reflected on how depressing this time was, and the embarrassment of these pieces being shown. They were made using very cheap materials, as Takashi Murakami had little money, and with “low technique”. My personal opinion is that these are great images to speak about in a school setting where the same can be said for resources, possible as an inspiration for students or teachers, to demonstrate that the materials or lack of are not as important as developing and using ours skills.

Second Mission Project Ko (1997-2007)

This is work involves three sculptures showing a transition from an idealised otaku women into a jet. Takashi Murakami explains that this piece shows the geek (otaku) sexuality which had developed in otaku culture in Japan and spreads around the world. Kaikai and Kiki (foreground) Time Bokan (2001) (Background) Kaikai and Kiki are in many ways Takashi Murakami’s mascot characters. The Japanese word Kaikaikiki expresses an emotion of extreme awe (well kind of). These two characters are used frequently in Takashi Murakami’s artworks and are very popular products in terms of his company aspect. The image in behind the Kaikai and Kiki is Time Bokan (red) (2001). This piece is a reference to the two atomic bombs dropped on Japan during the last world war. Takashi Murakami explains that the image shows the trauma of the Japanese people and how it has affected their identity. He states that Japanese people are able to make light of this event even though it is still recent in their history. Jonathan Ross comments that the new Japanese culture of cuteness could be seen as a direct reaction to the war and atomic bombs (Jonathan Ross, Japanorama, 2007). With this in mind I find this image extremely interesting as the Kaikai and Kiki seem to be placed in such a way that they are marching ahead of Time Bokan’s image. It is a rather juxtaposed image of cuteness marching out of the trauma and past Japanese identity. It is important to also note that Time Bokan’s eyes contain images of cuteness in the midst of the mushroom cloud.

Takashi Murakami's Movement and Style

Takashi Murakami, as explained previously, has been compared to the likes of Andy Warhol and others who were a part of the contemporary art or pop art scene many years ago. These are good comparisons to make but Takashi Murakami comes from a completely different context having studies Japanese Nihonga and being a Japanese person his entire life either than being brought up in a western society. This difference is what has shaped the career of Takashi Murakami and what sets him apart from those who came before.
Instead of following a style given to him, Takashi Murakami developed his own concept for his art. Whilst his work can be compared to other styles, Japanese and western, I believe it is important to focus on concept or style or art. SUPERFLAT.
(I did try and understand this concept through the book of the same name, by Takashi Murakami but I found I lacked the fundamental art knowledge to properly interoperate Takashi Murakami’s own words. Instead I have developed the following from other sources which simplified his concept/style/Philosophy)


SUPERFLAT
This styles name refers to the way in which it flattens traditional Japanese tradition, modernity and other media into a new “oneness” (Jonathan Ross, Japanorama, 2007). This style is characterised by the use of plat planes of colours and graphic images in a style derived from anime and manga. As mentioned previously Takashi Murakami’s work draws from and comments on modern Japanese Otaku culture. Otaku culture refers to that of anime and manga particularly, often with a sci-fi/fantasy theme and sexual fetishism. This subculture has grown and spread to be openly accepted for the most part in Japan and has spread across the western world, most easily noticed in the adaptation of anime television shows such as Pokémon and Naturo.

Influences and Medium

Takashi Murakami pays homage to those who came before him and influenced him including the masters of Nihonga he studied as a student and the televisions shows and cartoons he grew up with. Takashi Murakami influences others through his work with young up and coming Japanese artists and as a part of the outwards push (and demand) for Japanese pop culture by western countries. I was first introduced to content such as anime as a child in Australia, and since then the availability and acceptance has only grown. This is my reasoning for this type of art to be used in the classroom (although not the sexualised) especially as I myself aim to teach Japanese as a language in schools.
Takashi Murakami’s artworks (as exampled above) are primarily paintings but also include painted balloon works and sculptures; although Takashi Murakami is not as skilled with Sculptures and hence employs assistants to produce him image.




The above video is how I was introduced to teh artist Takashi Murakami, although I had seen his work before knowing who he was.