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Lot Essay
Yoshitomo Nara's deceptively simple painting style contains exuberant and complex aesthetic elements. He tends to sketch figures with bold lines, combining colours of the same tone, to mimic the innocent charm and liveliness found in children's painting. His frequent depiction of lonely children is widely received and recognized, arousing the sympathy of audience who experienced family estrangement as a result of the economic development in Post-War period.
Nara's portrait painting comes from a long line of traditional Japanese figure painting, an association clearly demonstrated in the water-and-ink painting of the 17th century, in which the character's state of mind is represented by simplified, altered, exaggerated and abstracted modes of expression. The way in which the figure is constituted corresponds to Paul Cezanne's theory of simplifying the naturally occurring form into geometric essentials. In Drum (Lot 2376), the girl's head and eyes are obviously oval in shape, her hair hanging down like an inverted triangle, and her one-piece dress is rectangular in shape.
Nara is particularly fond of Punk music's antiestablishment spirit; thus, in order to express his feelings and sympathy towards the world's misfortunes and inequalities, he makes his "Rock and Roll"-loving children the spokesperson of his inner world, their music containing such conflicting emotions as anger, joy, grief and helplessness, touching upon the audience's heart and memories. In the painting, the child is beating a Taiko drum, a traditional Japanese and Buddhist instrument used to cure diseases and cast away evils. Its inclusion suggests a symbolic struggle against negative forces, she sticks out her tongue to make a rebellious facial expression, which further strengthens her emotions hidden under her behaviour; the picture does not tell a larger story, but it shows the child's longing and determination to break free. As such, she is an imagery expression of the artist's own disposition. As Taiko drum performance is often accompanied by cheering crowds, other than just wanting to vent her emotions, the girl also seeks the approval and encouragement of her imagined audience.
Nara's portrait painting comes from a long line of traditional Japanese figure painting, an association clearly demonstrated in the water-and-ink painting of the 17th century, in which the character's state of mind is represented by simplified, altered, exaggerated and abstracted modes of expression. The way in which the figure is constituted corresponds to Paul Cezanne's theory of simplifying the naturally occurring form into geometric essentials. In Drum (Lot 2376), the girl's head and eyes are obviously oval in shape, her hair hanging down like an inverted triangle, and her one-piece dress is rectangular in shape.
Nara is particularly fond of Punk music's antiestablishment spirit; thus, in order to express his feelings and sympathy towards the world's misfortunes and inequalities, he makes his "Rock and Roll"-loving children the spokesperson of his inner world, their music containing such conflicting emotions as anger, joy, grief and helplessness, touching upon the audience's heart and memories. In the painting, the child is beating a Taiko drum, a traditional Japanese and Buddhist instrument used to cure diseases and cast away evils. Its inclusion suggests a symbolic struggle against negative forces, she sticks out her tongue to make a rebellious facial expression, which further strengthens her emotions hidden under her behaviour; the picture does not tell a larger story, but it shows the child's longing and determination to break free. As such, she is an imagery expression of the artist's own disposition. As Taiko drum performance is often accompanied by cheering crowds, other than just wanting to vent her emotions, the girl also seeks the approval and encouragement of her imagined audience.