Yoshitomo Nara

Marianne Boesky Gallery, New York
Private Collection
Christie's, New York, November 9, 2005, lot 429
Acquired by the present owner from the above sale

Manfred Rothenberger, ed., Yoshitomo Nara: Lullaby Supermarket, Nurnberg, 2002, pp. 153 and 197, illustrated in color
Yoshitomo Nara, Yoshitomo Nara: The Complete Works: Paintings, Sculptures, Editions, Photographs, Vol. 1, Tokyo, 2011, cat. no. P-1999-009, p. 154, illustrated in color

This work is in very good condition overall. There appears to have been previous minor rubbing to the surface of the four corners of the canvas. There is a linear horizontal surface irregularity, approximately 4 inches long in the bottom left quadrant, which appears inherent to the artist's working method. There is light wear and handling apparent to all 4 sides of the canvas. Under ultraviolet light inspection there is no evidence of restoration. Unframed.
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.

“When I started to look back on my childhood and really focusing on that time, I think that what I got out of picture books I really carried with me through my life and that’s a very strong element.  And so I think some people might look at [my work] and project an idea about manga and its influence, but for me I work very hard to make sure that my art does not produce a superficial image, that there is much more depth to it, so that’s something I would like people to see.”
Yoshitomo Nara

 

Celebrated for his imagery of universal themes such as youth and childhood, artist Yoshitomo Nara has created one of the most impressive and prolific careers among Japanese artists today as he charged to the forefront of the art scene on both a national and international level. With most of his works focusing on the characterization of the rebellious youth or of the lonely child, the artist once expressed: “We should rediscover art that exists in what we think of as subculture. It’s strong and real anywhere you bring it because it’s directly born of the everyday folks rather than of tradition.” Painted in 1999, Baby Blue is truly an iconic work that represents the artist’s attempt to search beyond the realm of the conscious mind, unraveling the subtle desire of trotting through childhood memories and defiantly shattering the rigid boundaries set within contemporary society.

Among Nara’s paintings related to Japanese youth culture, the image of the young child has transformed and aged over the years, subtly corresponding to the artist’s changing mindscape. In the earliest works from the 1990s, characters often carry a hostile, violent undertone representative of adolescent rebellion and are usually defined by strong outlines as well as playful props such as toys or lamps. Nara’s style later matured into a softer approach in the late 1990s and early 2000s where pastel colors take precedence and a refined, subtle technique is implemented. As seen in the present painting, a young girl is featured in a pastel green dress, bearing a half-smile that suggests innocence with a hint of mischief, staring back at the viewer with large puppy eyes in a sea of creamy green background. While the flat space and her blown-up head recall the comic figures of Takashi Murakami’s art, the essence of the present painting is one of spiritual purity and playfulness, both of which are powerfully and effectively conveyed through Nara’s distinct artistic approach of soft lines and subtle tonal gradation. The baby face and over-sized eyes are indeed the most iconic features among all to display this spiritual departure. The work has proven to be all the more significant as it is arguably one of the few large canvas works to showcase the full torso of the young girl, before the artist concentrated fully on shoulder-up portraits in the latter half of the 2000s.

Born in Hirosaki, a city in the Aomori Prefecture hours away from Tokyo, Nara is frequently associated with Murakami and the Superflat movement in the 1990s. The artist obtained his Bachelor of Fine Arts and Master of Fine Arts from the Aichi Prefectural University of Fine Arts and Music before attending Kunstakademie Duesseldorf in Germany in 1988. While Nara has worked alongside contemporaries in both the East and West, he has emphasized the importance of individual experience and personal sentiments in his artistic practice rather than strictly following art historical theories. As the artist commented in an interview in 2012, “Overseas, everyone started to read the work within the context of Murakami’s Superflat theory. In a way, they can be explained with that, so that’s fine, but for me they were much more personal. All the children and animals depicted came from inside me, not from a theory.” (Edan Corkill, “Yoshitomo Nara Puts the Heart Back in Art," The Japan Times, 2012) This articulation of the artist’s own emotional disposition has not only contributed to the immense popularity of the iconic solitary child, but also created a unique resonance with the masses.

In the last two years alone, Nara has had over twenty exhibitions across the globe including two major solo exhibitions in 2014. His popularity has no doubt far surpassed many Japanese contemporary artists working today. Nara’s iconic images of devilishly cute girls and sleepy-eyed dogs have successfully marched on to become an indisputable pillar in the paradigm of Japanese contemporary art. These imageries of youth recall Picasso's Child with a Dove (1901) from his Blue Period, where a surface appearance of naiveté masks an underlying tension and angst which are commonly found in adolescents. While loneliness and music are often cited as a source of inspiration behind the creation of these rebellious children, a compelling part of his works is sentimentally devoted to the free spirits of youth and a rejection of reality.