Loose Yourself in Yoshitomo Nara's World with art book 'The Complete Works'
Publishers are ready to unleash a wave of Spring 2012 books upon us and I took a little time to peruse their lists and see what I might be interested in sharing with you.
Each time I go though this process, i find books that I missed for one reason or another.
Yesterday, i realized I should have noticed Yoshitomo Nara ' The Complete Works' (Chronicle Books, November 2011), a perfect fit for weekly Tokyo Thursdays.
This objet d'art is described by publisher as "the most extensive, authoritative, and beautiful expression of the artist’s work ever published." In includes "two 400-page volumes bound in fabric featuring Nara’s designs, the catalog covers all of the artist’s prolific output over the span of his career to date, including more than 4,500 paintings, drawings, editions, sculptures, photographs, and collaborations with other artists. Including new essays written by Nara himself—as well as texts from Banana Yoshimoto, Takashi Murakami, Hiroshi Sugito, and Midori Matsui—this unique reference is the definitive book on one of the world’s most important contemporary artists."
Since I have not held the book in my hands, I cannot tell for sure how many pieces that were featured in exhibit Yoshitomo Nara Nobody's Fool at Asia Society in New York (Sept. 9, 2010–Jan. 2, 2011) are included in 'The Complete Works'. This show was first major one for artist in the U.S.
The exhibit pages introduce Yoshitomo Nara as "a leading Japanese Neo Pop artist who is internationally known for his work depicting small children and animals in solitary settings."
He also has a strong connection to the music scene and created covert art for the band Shonen Knife for example.
The $250 price tag for Yoshitomo Nara ' The Complete Works' will make some of us pause before purchasing it.
It makes for a wonderful gift.
Loosing myself in Yoshitomo Nara's world for Tokyo Thursdays # 224
Previously:
Love Will Tear Us Apart, Celluloid Heroes Version, Japan Society Film Festival, NY, March 2-18
(* Illustrations from Yoshitomo Nara ' The Complete Works'-Chronicle Books, November 2011- reproduced with permission of the publisher, all rights reserved)