Statue of Venus Obliterated by Infinity Nets, 1998
Acrylic on fiberglass and canvas
Statue: 214.6 x 68.5 x 78.7 cm (84.5x27x31 inches)
Painting: 227.3 x 146 cm (89.5×57.5 inches)
Statue: signed, titled, dated and numbered 6/10 (on the lower edge)
Painting: signed, titled and dated (on the reverse)
This work is number six from an edition of ten. Each work is uniquely painted

 

Provenance
Private Collection (acquired directly from the artist).
Acquired from the above by the present owner in 2012.

 

Christie’s London: 11 February 2016
GBP 458,500 / USD 665,015

Source: Christie’s
Yayoi Kusama (b. 1929) (christies.com)

 

An avant-garde twist on a classically iconic sculpture, Yayoi Kusama’s Statue of Venus Obliterated by Infinity Nets is seductive, vibrant, and hypnotic. Kusama places the Roman goddess of love and beauty in an enshrouded setting where both sculpture and background are covered with her signature Infinity Nets; distinctively intricate patterns that helped launch her career as one of the leading artists of the Post-war period. Rich in both visual and textural variety, the surface displays Kusama’s technical skill as well as her physical and mental stamina. The bright green netted “molecules” strewn over the bright blue surface draw the viewer into the folds of Venus’ garbs. The artist created 10 editions of this mixed media piece in different color combinations; all were part of a successful exhibition Yayoi Kusama: Now in New York City’s Robert Miller Gallery in the summer of 1998. In painstaking detail, Kusama perseveringly painted one by one, the miniscule specks on large surface areas, sometimes until she passed out from exhaustion. It is her mental condition that makes her obsess in this way; in fact, she describes her art-making as both the symptom and the cure for her “obsession” and considers her work “psychosomatic art.” During the process of painting her Infinity Nets, Kusama becomes mesmerized and transported into her own world; the nets she creates become the veil that shields her from reality. In the same way, the speckled Venus sculpture is camouflaged by her surroundings, being consumed by the Infinity Nets that stand behind her. Thus, Kusama’s Statue of Venus Obliterated by Infinity Nets is a reflection of the artist herself.