Takashi Murakami

Blum & Poe, Los Angeles
Acquired by the present owner from the above

This work is in excellent condition. There are no condition problems with this work.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

At the beginning, to be frank, I didn't like flowers, but drawing them more often my feelings changed: their smell, their shape - it all made me feel almost physically sick, and at the same time I found them very "cute." Each one seemed to have its own feeling, its own personality. My dominant feeling was one of unease, but I liked that sensation. And these days, now that I draw flowers frequently, that sensation has come back vividly. I find them just as pretty, just as disturbing. At the same time there is this strength in them; it is the same image of strength I find when drawing the human face. So I thought that if the opportunity arose, I would very much like to make a work in which I would represent them as if in a "crowd  scene," in the manner of those scenes of of moving crowds that you see in films. I really wanted to convey this impression of unease, of the threatening aspect of an approaching crowd. Takashi Murakami (Takashi Murakami, Exh. Cat., Foundation Cartier, Paris, 2002, n.p.)