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Lot Essay
Yoshitomo Nara's prominence as a contemporary artist stems from his ability to express the complex social psychology of children, in part from his personal experiences, in a universally comprehensible fashion. Nara's subject is often a lonesome "latchkey" child, possessing an underlying spirit for rebellion, independence and emotional yearning, conveyed by Nara through facial expressions and inscriptions of his paintings. Monkey Baby Go-Go (Lot 1324), a rare and early example painted during Nara's residence in Dusseldorf, Germany and Magic Hand (Lot 1033) aptly demonstrate Nara's bold experimentation of stylistic expression, a precursor to his now signature creations.
Set in rare vivid yellow, the animal-baby marches with his extended arms to the beat of his own drum, pursuing his wants and needs with outstanding determination. While the crossed out inscription "enfant terrible" on the back of the painting suggests that this is a mischievous and obstinate child, "flying" and the final title of "Monkey Baby Go-Go" reflect the joy and imagination of a world greater than the child's existence. His determination and stubbornness in fact equally reflect the desires of grown adults, an indication that a piece of all our childhood remains with us throughout our adult life. Yet Nara is careful not to exude an overtly serious tone and maintains a light-heartedness by painting overly bulbous diapers and enlarged perky ears on the child. As though laughing at himself as well, the child's mouth is a small pink circle seemingly about to break into a smile.
Through using a dry brush and limited colour palette, Nara purposefully creates a rough painting surface with a deceptive immaturity, using only layers of colour to contour and shadow his figure and intentionally suspends the child in mid-air, further mimicking the work of children and adding a raw and fresh finish. In its deceptive simplicity, these two works push our imagination to its limits, all the while pulling out our memories of childhood happiness and equally its difficulties, a testament to Nara's extraordinary artistic endeavours and triumph.
Set in rare vivid yellow, the animal-baby marches with his extended arms to the beat of his own drum, pursuing his wants and needs with outstanding determination. While the crossed out inscription "enfant terrible" on the back of the painting suggests that this is a mischievous and obstinate child, "flying" and the final title of "Monkey Baby Go-Go" reflect the joy and imagination of a world greater than the child's existence. His determination and stubbornness in fact equally reflect the desires of grown adults, an indication that a piece of all our childhood remains with us throughout our adult life. Yet Nara is careful not to exude an overtly serious tone and maintains a light-heartedness by painting overly bulbous diapers and enlarged perky ears on the child. As though laughing at himself as well, the child's mouth is a small pink circle seemingly about to break into a smile.
Through using a dry brush and limited colour palette, Nara purposefully creates a rough painting surface with a deceptive immaturity, using only layers of colour to contour and shadow his figure and intentionally suspends the child in mid-air, further mimicking the work of children and adding a raw and fresh finish. In its deceptive simplicity, these two works push our imagination to its limits, all the while pulling out our memories of childhood happiness and equally its difficulties, a testament to Nara's extraordinary artistic endeavours and triumph.