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Takashi Murakami Exhibit @ Brooklyn Museum
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200 Eastern Pkwy
(between Classon Ave & Washington Ave)
Brooklyn, NY 11238
(718) 638-5000
(between Classon Ave & Washington Ave)
Brooklyn, NY 11238
(718) 638-5000
- Nearest Transit:
-
Eastern Pkwy (2, 3)
Botanic Garden (2, 3, 4, 5, S)
- Good for Kids:
- No
22 reviews for Takashi Murakami Exhibit @ Brooklyn Museum
Okay, whatever anyone says $8 is not worth paying, I don't care if Kanye loves Murakami, I do too, but $8 is unnecessary.
And now that my irrelevant rant is done here is why I marvel at it:
The Takashi Murakami exhibit is a complete fantasy world with colors and hallucinations you can't fathom (or you can, and this is it.)
I don't understand it, and I like that. His works are stories and cartoons that probably only children understand, but everyone else marvels at its hilarity, sexual content, and the joy it brings.
The huge mushroom painting that was in one of the rooms? Leave it to good ol'Nicole to count them all. TWO HUNDRED MUSHROOMS, small and tall, fat and skinny.
I've never. . . had so many mushrooms in my life (haha?) and was quite dizzy afterwards in which I stumbled into the room of daisies.
It's like being on an artist's high.
Inochi was adorable and I think explains the teenager today: awkward, puberty-hitting, and completely misunderstood.
DEFINITELY recommended to: A.D.D. diagnosed people, anime-lovers, drug addicts and people who have imagination.
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I was walking around my apartment one day when the background of a particular picture flashing on my computer (you know, the screen saver setting that cycles through your pictures) caught my eye. It was a Murakami piece from the last time I was at the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA). Here I was thinking I've never seen Murakami before.
So, now after what apparently is my second exposure to the works of Takashi Murakami, I can safely say this: "I don't get it".
The Brooklyn Museum's featured two floors full of Murakami's art including a working Louie Vuitton store, selling of course, Murakami designed LV bags. I'm not sure if that was an intended artistic statement or not. I understand Murakami is exploring the fine line between commercialism and fine art, but all I see is highly sexualized anime figures, smiling flowers, and multi-eyed monsters. I kind of find it hard to believe a fully erect man climaxing in a most fountain-ous fashion is art or a bare breasted young woman jumping rope with... ,shall we say, something that's not rope, is art.
And the eyes! Wallpapers full of eyes. Monsters with multiple eyes. Ok.. and the point?
Perhaps, I'm missing something. Are the pieces representative or symbolic of a certain feeling, event? Are they trying to capture a moment in time, albeit abstractly? Is it an expression on the state of human affairs? I don't get it.
In this social climate, the pieces aren't really that shocking either. Uncomfortable, yes. Revolting, a little. Maybe that's the point.
P.S. The little smiling flowers are cute.
review 7/18/2008
I.M.Y.
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Hats off to the curator of the Murakami exhibit. There was a nice flow from one room to the next, switching between some of Murakami's intense, provocative works and his frightfully joyful animations. Murakami's world is a fascinating one of smiling flowers, eyeballs, mushrooms, anime, overt sexuality and Louis Vuitton bags. It was a welcome visual overload.
Admission to the special exhibit included general admission to the Brooklyn Museum. I'm not a fan of Asian and African art which is about all the Brooklyn Museum houses so we skipped out on checking out the permanent collections.
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I'm very much an art novice, and I do not remember any of the names of the works of Murakami. But this was one of the best exhibits I have ever been to. Like I said, I'm an amateur when it comes to art so all this may sound very fanboy-like.
I am not the biggest fan of anime or manga. And the only reason I heard of Murakami was because he designed Louis Vuitton bags, which became heavily bootlegged, and he did the cover of Kanye West's "Graduation". So I was not familiar with any of the works at the exhibit.
The exhibit takes up two floors, and its pretty much chronological - starting from his beginnings to his most current work. As you are walking from piece to piece, you can see the gradual progression in terms of depth, detail and in terms of just taking risks. Since we were not allowed to take pictures (security is very adamant about it and they are pretty much everywhere) I was able to sneak in a few, thanks to some cover provided by my friend.
There is a mini-store within the exhibit, selling various Murakami-designed Louis Vuitton bags. I don't how much much they cost, but I'm pretty sure they were a pretty penny. And at the end of the exhibit, there is another mini-store with predominantly Murakami stuff. If you're looking to get one of the limited lithographs, forget about it. It's all already sold out. Yup, all the faux poseurs bought them all up.
Luckily, we came opening day so all the most enthusiastic fans were there. And it was also the Target First Saturday, so while admission to the museum was free, tickets to the Murakami exhibit is $10, which is still in itself a very good deal. But don't wait for the next First Saturday, go there today. Actually, don't go during the weekend. One, you avoid all the crowds. And two, you avoid the broken down MTA weekend service.
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loved it if you didnt go you missed out
Okay, I've been a resident of New York City for over 10 years now, but for the life of me I have no idea why it took me so long to visit the Brooklyn Museum, especially since I've been in Brooklyn for the last 8 years.
Alas, I finally made it.
I've been a big fan of Japanese novelists Haruki Murakami and Ryu Murakami (no relation), but I was unfamiliar with the work of artist Takashi Murakami (also no relation) until I went to his exhibit in Brooklyn. I really enjoyed his work. He really has a vivid, graphic imagination that is punctuated by the use of exquisite colors and form that bodes sexual fetishism in true-to-form Japanese Manga art. I can understand how Takashi was voted as one of Time magazine's 100 Most Influential People list. Apparently, he was the only artist to make the list. In any event, I was really impressed and glad I made it to the exhibit before it ends.
I'll definitely be back to see other exhibits at the museum.
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Much like Yelp, art has its opinions of dissent and conditions of assent; it's purely subjective, it's grand in the human scale (yes, Yelp is grand in the human scale), and it's designed for points of view.
Murakami, as commercial as he has been recently, has been a stand-alone favorite of mine in the art world as a pop voice. Ever since seeing the Superflat exhibit at LACMA I have been an enormous fan, and this retrospective was yet another arrow in Murakami's smart arsenal of controversy and predictability.
By showing his previous works and private works (most pieces owned by collectors and private galleries) in synchronicity with his popularity, thanks mostly in part to Louis Vuitton and Kanye West, Murakami shows pop art as truly popular; in the sense of not for the people but for the most people. His merchandise lines the walls next to his paintings and sculptures, outrightly outsourced except for some of his more personal or deeply creative works. It all looks derivative, but under the surface of commercial accessibility lies the reason why it's so successful: people like what they see, and this was all before Louis Vuitton and Kanye West.
A beautiful retrospective, and still, even seeing it on a weekday, was still well-populated. Murakami will gain more fans after this stint at the Brooklyn Museum (it goes on well into July, with a possible extension if enough people see it).
You'll want to nab something at the souvenir shop, whether it's a $99 flower cushion or a $2.75 postcard. I wanted to take home everything with me, so I did the next best thing: I bought a catalog ($65 if you're not a member, less 15% if you are).
I'm not gushing, I'm being a fanboy.
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A friend of mine just moved out to Brooklyn (kids on horizon) he said it was because Manhattan couldn't hold his energy anymore (kids on horizon) and I said that's nice and all but when I come to New York (kids not my horizon) I was to stay in the city.
Give me your city, you beacon of light!
You massive ball of energy!!
Jazz it up!
He had to be in bed by 9 and said, please, can you stop yelling into the phone.
Anyway, so we made a deal and came here after I calmed down.
They have a massive Egyptian art collection Great too. It's all very nicely laid out, the people are nice, and you can generally spend time with some cultural artifacts from a time and place that no longer exist, and you feel better for it. So I say go. Do it.
You probably will not thank me later, and that's ok..
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Art is subjective and so are concepts - especially about the world.
Murakami surfs on the edge of consumerism and art constantly bringing Superflat to everyone.
In my opinion Murakami has as much conceptual skill as technical skill and they are both off the chart.
For an eye/ brain dizzying experience check this out.
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I've been through this exhibit twice now. It's definitely worth seeing at least once, although I do think I appreciated it more on the second viewing because the simple shock of seeing some of the items had worn off. If I had to describe the entire exhibit in one word, it would be 'explosive.'
First off, if you bring your kids, there are two sections of the exhibit that you might want to rush them through, depending on your squeamishness: The first room has three statuettes of half-naked women/aircraft combinations, and there's another room with a man making a lasso out of his ejaculate opposite a woman jumproping with her breast milk.
Yeah, for better or for worse, that's no joke. (At least on my part...)
Highlights: The video presentation alone is worth the price of admission. Potty humor abounds in the Kaikai-Kiki anime, and the Kanye West music video is a great pairing of music to completely tripped out visuals. The trailer for the live action movie is a bit of a miss, though. Also, the Daruma portraits were my favorite pieces in the entire exhibit... the sharp edges of the brushwork, accentuated by crisp, thin color linework, is really jarring.
Other interesting pieces: The DOB series, Time Bokan, and the flower room are all very representative of Murakami. Don't miss.
If you think the LV shop in there is out of place, you should read the placard just inside the entrance to the LV shop... While it might not completely make you feel like it belongs, it certainly gives a better explanation for it than straight-up commercialism.
Speaking of commercialism... some of the prices (hell, all of the prices) in the gift shop are exorbitant. If you think you might want to buy something (and it's going to be hard to suppress that urge), make sure you bring your charge card.
Tip: The book that you can buy in the gift shop is a great piece that summarizes the exhibit, as well as gives you more insight into the inspirations and process of Murakami... but the gift shop is straight-up ripping you off. Get it at Amazon for a helluva lot cheaper.
Tip 2: If you want to take a picture next to Murakami stuff, you generally won't be able to do it except at the entrance as the security staff are pretty on top of their game. The stairwell between floors 4 and 5 are also a relatively unpoliced area as well, if you like the look of the wallpaper.
How much acid did Murakami have to take to make these designs?
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I went to see the Murakami Exhibit at the Brooklyn Museum several weeks ago. I actually never been to the Brooklyn Museum before, so its kinda an added bonus. As museums go, this is definitely a more interesting exhibit than the other ones that I went to recently (MoMa, LSC, Museum of Natural History). It is a must for anime fans.
It sucks that you can't take any pictures. But there's plenty of Flickr streams online if you just want to see pictures. The point is to see it in person because of the details on his art work (His DOBs are crazily detailed, try seeing it from up close then from far away to get the perspective). Also, don't miss the Lonely Cowboy and Hiropon, hehe.
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As someone who isn't a particularly huge anime fan, I really enjoyed this exhibit. It was unexpectedly humorous, cute, twisted, and bold, at once.
I liked the short movies they played in the poop room (there is a cartoon turd sitting on top of the doorway) including KaiKai and KiKi and Kanye. The transformation of Miss Ko2 into a jet plane made me gasp out loud and giggle like a schoolgirl when I saw the very detailed and prominently displayed vagina.
The underlying commentary on sexuality, commercialism, and branding was pretty cool. Make it a point to read all of the descriptions because it helps to understand why he did what he did, otherwise you just come out thinking, "Wow, this guy must've done a lot of shrooms." Which I am not saying he didn't do.
My favorite room was the room of happy flowers with faces.
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I loved the exhibit, although the twisted parts of it really disturbed me (which I guess is a good thing). It was amusing to watch parents as they tried to herd their kids and toddlers away from ejaculating penises and disturbing videos of a teletubbie-type figure getting an erection in all sorts of places.
Minus 1 star: While I understand the commercial appeal of Murakami's work, I have to say that I really didn't like the LV shop. It would've been cool to see all the LV designs displayed, but it was annoying to see Real Housewives wannabes make a big show of their "impulse" purchases.
Definitely worth the trip to Brooklyn!
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Murakami's exhibit at the Musuem was cool but personally, I enjoyed his artworks more when it was on public display at the Rockefeller Center in NYC back in 2003. I remember that the Double Helix was there and 2 huge, black balloons were hanging above the rink. And, those giant mushrooms were all over the Plaza and you could actually sit on them!
At the museum, I felt embarrassed because I couldn't feel the thrill of what other Murakami fans felt. (I should've brought my anime-loving sisters with me!) Forgive me if I am still learning about this kind of artwork. But I felt like I was walking through a world where Super Mario Bros., Macross, Sailor Moon, Pikachu, Mickey Mouse, Louis Vuitton & Hentai all clashed.
The LV store, I agree, was too much. And more ridiculous was the sight of some people actually buying the merchandise! The souvenirs themselves were exorbitant ($50++ for a stuffed flower pillow which looks like prizes you win at a carnival game?!) Okay, maybe I'm not T.M. fan enough. Sorry.
And yeah, I'm one of those parents who tried to veer my 3 yr old away from that "Cream & Milk" exhibit. `Was totally unprepared for that, thank you!
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Love, love, loved it. It was amazing.
Plan on spending $$$ in the gift shop at the end of Murakami's Exhibit, it was worth it though.
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Fantastic!!!! i love love loved this exhibit. My trip to NY from Boston was soley to come see this exhibit. Its actually sponsored by the firm I work at. The exhibit is a trip. Each room has a different theme and it was totally cool. I must find out where I can get the wallpaper they used! Some things I thought were a big inappropiate for kids but I guess its "art", right? I would definaly go see this exhibit again. cuz its amazing and Murakami is sooo soo awesome!!!!
Bring $$ for the gift shop at the end. they have really neat little knick knacks you can buy. You can also buy some lithographs of his work but be prepared to drop some dough.
I highly reccomemend anyone to check this exhibit out, its da bomb.
The rest of the museum was interesting too. haha.
I am totally giving this 5 stars because 1. the exhibit is really good and 2. because there were little kids running around pointing at the "pee", "girl parts", etc. It was hysterical, and horrifying!
I might go back one more time to get in to the films, but we'll see...
My favorites were the acrylic pieces on canvas, the surfaces were impeccable and far more interesting than his other work, and of course Second Mission Project of KO2 was awesome. I appreciate the fact that it took him 10 years to complete it.
Dude just fucking go. the guy is awesome and a piece of history. and to see all the works together is an amazing experience. Also it's a reason to go to the Brooklyn museum and I don't think there are many. Also it's shear enjoyment to watch unsuspecting patrons and grandmas look at life size action figures. spewing ropes of jizz and breast milk. as well as an in your face clitoris.
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sadly commercial as he has been for the better portion of the last decade. murakami couldn't have remained true to his original vision while embracing the very world (of merchandising and otaku) he initially sought to critique-slapping his designs on luxury goods to be whored out by celebrities and heiresses makes him laughably the very thing he sought to examine.
there's no longer any commentary going on here, let alone subversion. it's what always wins out in the end. mindless consumerism by slaves to label. which is disappointing because initially his voice was a fresh one, now he's merely a brand.
the more interesting commentary would be a retrospective of all the bootleg and counterfeit merchandise murakami has inspired.
one thing i can't argue is that his audience continues to grow, and as miguel d pointed out, high traffic on a weekday. doesn't diminish my disappointment that he's become a parody of what he once was.
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so tasty good
the endless variations of theme were intriguing and fun
i LOVE his styling LOVE it
funny sexy weird disturbing
just the way i like my art.
i wish they sold miniatures of the very sexy transformer plane
i would have snapped that shit up
people kept warning me about taking my kid, including the woman who herded the ticket line. of course he was more disturbed by some of the twisty scary facial imagery than the one spurting cock statue everyone kept warning me about. I have not taught him that penises are nasty, so they don't bug him. Not as much as they apparently bug other people anyway.
the stuff in the gift shop is way costly - but that didn't stop me from spending a bunch
i was amused by the sign at the cash register that said there was a $10 minimum for credit cards. I don't think you could get an empty bag for that price.
go see this exhibit
don't miss the video room
apparently people do - and its really good
have fun
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Absolutely loved the Murakami exhibit at the Brooklyn Museum. We went this past Saturday and I was enjoyed it very much. I like the exhibit because it showcases his work in a very integrated way. In one way or another, all the pieces are interconnected. At first glance, you are taken in by the bold colors and cartoon-like appeal, but upon closer inspection the works have much more to offer. You should definitely check out the video room if you go. It's worth the wait.
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Awesome exhibit. Kitschy, modern, and overwhelming. Tons of bright colors and some "shocking" exhibits, all in the name of art. It may all seem overwhelming at first, but there is interesting detail in some of the larger pieces.
