Yoshitomo Nara (b. 1959)
Contemporary Drawings Collected by Martina Yamin
Yoshitomo Nara (b. 1959)

Good People

Details
Yoshitomo Nara (b. 1959)
Good People
signed, titled and dated 'GOOD PEOPLE, 2003 Yoshitomo Nara' (on a paper label affixed to the backing board)
colored pencil and graphite on envelope
9 ¼ x 4 ¾ in. (23.5 x 12.1 cm.)
Executed in 2003.
Provenance
Tomio Koyama Gallery, Tokyo
Acquired from the above by the present owner
Literature
N. Miyamura and S. Suzuki, eds., Yoshimoto Nara: The Complete Works–Works on Paper, vol. 2, San Francisco, 2011, p. 211, no. D-2003-166 (illustrated).

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Rachael White
Rachael White

Lot Essay

In the comic-book style speech bubble that fills the bottom of the envelope, the elf-eared female character standing on a small grassy orb shouts “Fuck You!” in English, and separately in Japanese exclaims: “Those who pursue nostalgia and sentimentalism F…You!” The subtle omission of the full curse word in Japanese underscores the fact that it is a child that is speaking. Two boys in army-gear stand in the background, one sternly saluting with hand raised while the other frolics with a sly smile, representing the militaristic culture in Japan that was present during World War II. Thus, the orange-haired girl’s harsh words can also be understood as a criticism of the nostalgia for pre-war Japan.

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