Takashi Murakami

Galerie Perrotin, Paris
Acquired by the present owner from the above

Paris, Galerie Perrotin, Takashi Murakami Paints Self-Portraits, September - October 2009

This work is in very good and sound condition overall. There are scattered accretions to the patina and minor scratches with some associated losses. There is light evidence of wear and handling to the white base.
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For Kanye West's 2007 album Graduation, the rap music superstar approached art world superstar Takashi Murakami to design the album cover and animation for West's hit single, "Good Morning." Murakami transformed West's self-proclaimed mascot "Dropout Bear" into a manga-style avatar, a doe-eyed bear dressed in a varsity jacket, sneakers and chain necklace. Murakami went on to create a series of four sculptures, each individually colored, bearing the likeness of "Dropout Bear," which he dubbed Kanye Bear.
Modeled after Murakami's animated cast of characters repeatedly featured in the artist's paintings, sculptures, prints, even commercial toys and memorabilia, Kanye Bear joins the band of Murakami's established and recognizable cartoons: DOB, Ms. KO2, My Lonesome Cowboy, Kaikai and Kiki - all of which are relentlessly, often erotically, childlike, creating a perverse fantasy in their status as high art. After the release of Graduation in 2007, Kanye Bear too infiltrated the index of popular culture, becoming a symbol for the hip hop sensation, while concurrently - and perhaps contrarily - was lauded as a work of fine art.
The present work coats the cuddly character in shimmering gold, inherently deifying both the mascot and Mr. West himself. The golden statue assumes an aura of marked importance, that of a revered celebrity, of a religious icon, of bountiful excess. Indeed, neither West nor Murakami is a stranger to the ostentation and spectacle of 21st century consumer culture and have sought to bridge the gap between high art, fashion and music; Murakami collaborated with Louis Vuitton, emblazoning his hallmark images on designer handbags, and West recently designed his own fashion line and frequently raps about his privileged, indulgent lifestyle. The visual artist and recording artist share many similarities in their media savvy, and both capitalize on cross-cultural collaborations, intermingling and, at times, blurring the line between high and low culture. In Kanye Bear, as in all of his works, Murakami masterfully combines Japanese and American pop cultures, simultaneously critiquing and contributing to the over-saturation of these societies' media and pop culture.