“I wanted to introduce Kusama as a contemporary artist, so we are opening the exhibition with her most recent works-her dazzling and very colorful paintings and sculptures-to remind people that she remains extremely vital as an artist working today, in addition to being a historical figure.” What else makes the Seattle Art Museum’s presentation of the Kusama exhibition unique? Despite the logistical constraints and opportunities set forth by the museum’s architecture (the SAM is smaller and more condensed than the Hirshhorn’s sprawling, donut-shaped layout), the curators decided to present Kusama’s most recent work at the exhibition’s entrance. “I think Kenneth Callahan was particularly receptive when Kusama wrote to him because there was this particular love and interest in Japanese art in Seattle at the time.” Fuller's private collection.) As a result, the Northwest Modernists-like Callahan, the artist who helped bring Kusama to the region-were looking at Asian art when they were developing strategies for abstraction. “There is something very unusual about the Seattle Art Museum-and it pertains to Kusama as a matter of fact.” The museum started in 1922 with a collection of Asian art (made possible by a large donation from Richard E. The museum itself has a strong relationship to its geography, too. “In Seattle, there are some people who have lived here for a long time, some of whom may still remember the history of Kusama and the connection she has to the Pacific Northwest,” says Manchada. "Luckily, Callahan wrote her back a welcoming letter and introduced her to Zoë Dusanne, an art dealer in Seattle who offered her an exhibition.” So, Kusama moved to Seattle, and the rest is art history.įor some locals, the exhibition holds some sentimental significance. “At the same time, she also wrote to Kenneth Callahan, a member of the school of Northwest Modernists in Seattle,” says Manchada. embassy in Tokyo, got a mailing address for O’Keeffe, and sent the artist a stack of drawings with a letter asking for advice on how to get to the United States. But then, Kusama stumbled upon a painting by Georgia O’Keeffe-and everything changed. “Initially, she thought she wanted to go to Paris because up until World War II, Paris was the center of the art world,” SAM's curator Catharina Manchada tells Artspace. First exhibited (and organized by) the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden in Washington D.C., the highly sought-after traveling exhibition has made its second stop at SAM, which marks a homecoming of sorts-Seattle was where the artist first lived when she came to the United States in 1957. : Infinity Rooms” has been bringing record-breaking numbers to the museum, and after seeing the show in person, we’ll tell you, it’s worth the wait. Outside the Seattle Art Museum (SAM), at all hours of the day, is a very long line.
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