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Lot Essay
Takashi Murakami’s multimedia practice has harnessed the power of the discourse between high and low art. His ability to draw material simultaneously from secular Japanese heritage and popular culture has ensured that his works infiltrate all realms of artistic creation. The artist himself stated, "I set out to investigate the secret of market survivability—the universality of characters such as Mickey Mouse, Sonic the Hedgehog, Doraemon, Miffy, Hello Kitty, and their knock-offs, produced in Hong Kong" (T. Murakami, quoted by Jeff Howe, “The two faces of Takashi Murakami,” Wired, 2003). While nurturing an admiration for Kawaii (meaning the cute cartoonish aesthetic of Japanese Manga and merchandise), during his studies Murakami also mastered Nihonga, the traditional Japanese painting technique and style, which is a persistent reference in his work.
Mr. DOB, the iconic subject of And then, and then, and then, and then, and then / Kappa is the sublimation of its persona and of his expanded practice. Often considered the artist’s alter-ego, Mr. DOB was born in 1993 out of an investigation into how successful advertising is able to exploit mass psychology with the ultimate aim to sell. The work that originated the whimsical cartoon was a circular advertising sign with the words “Dobozite Dobozite Oshamambe” (Dobozite is slang for why). From the abbreviation of this nonsensical slogan came DOB, a bunny-like, toothy character with the letters D and B lodged in its ears surrounding its ovoid face.
Rendered in Murakami’s “Superflat” style, the first stage of this work’s production is a freehand drawing, which is then scanned and revisited on Adobe Illustrator—a program that unlike Photoshop permits the limitless re-scaling of images without loss of resolution. The outline of the image, which feeds into an immense personal archive of clip-art, is then printed digitally on canvas and completed by his assistants following detailed instruction. The digital file’s versatility facilitates its re-use in different media and formats. And then, and then, and then, and then, and then/ Kappa (2006) builds on a series produced a decade earlier, which was a tribute to Andy Warhol’s close-cut serial portraits. A recurrent theme for over two decades, Mr. DOB punctuates the artist’s practice. The rhythm of the title, only composed of conjunctions, enhances the work’s immanence, and the importance of repetition and recreation throughout his oeuvre.
While Murakami is internationally acclaimed, his works reflect a distinctive Japanese sensibility that is decoded through popular culture and a distinctly local humour that borders on the macabre. Invoking both hilarity and disquietude DOB caricatures a fearsome creature, which could easily be found in the Manga comics that frequently feature erotic and violent imagery. Curator Michael Darling observed that "Mr. DOB hints at a convoluted chain of events that begins with the American occupation of Japan after World War II, the introduction of American (chiefly Disney) cartoons to Japan, the assimilation of American cartoon styles into their own distinctive cartoon culture" (M. Darling, quoted in P. M. Lee, Forgetting the Art World, Cambridge, MA, 2012, p. 47). As Darling suggests, the disturbing attributes of Murakami’s work is intertwined with Japan’s traumatic history since the atomic destruction of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, making his output extremely relevant within local and global frameworks.
Mr. DOB, the iconic subject of And then, and then, and then, and then, and then / Kappa is the sublimation of its persona and of his expanded practice. Often considered the artist’s alter-ego, Mr. DOB was born in 1993 out of an investigation into how successful advertising is able to exploit mass psychology with the ultimate aim to sell. The work that originated the whimsical cartoon was a circular advertising sign with the words “Dobozite Dobozite Oshamambe” (Dobozite is slang for why). From the abbreviation of this nonsensical slogan came DOB, a bunny-like, toothy character with the letters D and B lodged in its ears surrounding its ovoid face.
Rendered in Murakami’s “Superflat” style, the first stage of this work’s production is a freehand drawing, which is then scanned and revisited on Adobe Illustrator—a program that unlike Photoshop permits the limitless re-scaling of images without loss of resolution. The outline of the image, which feeds into an immense personal archive of clip-art, is then printed digitally on canvas and completed by his assistants following detailed instruction. The digital file’s versatility facilitates its re-use in different media and formats. And then, and then, and then, and then, and then/ Kappa (2006) builds on a series produced a decade earlier, which was a tribute to Andy Warhol’s close-cut serial portraits. A recurrent theme for over two decades, Mr. DOB punctuates the artist’s practice. The rhythm of the title, only composed of conjunctions, enhances the work’s immanence, and the importance of repetition and recreation throughout his oeuvre.
While Murakami is internationally acclaimed, his works reflect a distinctive Japanese sensibility that is decoded through popular culture and a distinctly local humour that borders on the macabre. Invoking both hilarity and disquietude DOB caricatures a fearsome creature, which could easily be found in the Manga comics that frequently feature erotic and violent imagery. Curator Michael Darling observed that "Mr. DOB hints at a convoluted chain of events that begins with the American occupation of Japan after World War II, the introduction of American (chiefly Disney) cartoons to Japan, the assimilation of American cartoon styles into their own distinctive cartoon culture" (M. Darling, quoted in P. M. Lee, Forgetting the Art World, Cambridge, MA, 2012, p. 47). As Darling suggests, the disturbing attributes of Murakami’s work is intertwined with Japan’s traumatic history since the atomic destruction of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, making his output extremely relevant within local and global frameworks.