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 5/10
Painting: signed, titled and dated (on the reverse)
This work is number five from an edition of ten.
Each work is uniquely painted

 

Provenance
Anon. sale; Seoul Auction, Hong Kong, 30 May 2011, lot 36
Acquired at the above sale by the present owner

 

Christie’s New-York: 15 May 2013
USD 783,750

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. 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 pink 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. As a Japanese woman, Kusama grew up exposed to a wide array of remarkable patterns in the fabrics and textiles used to make traditional Japanese clothing- an early source of inspiration for her Infinity Nets which demonstrate her inherent understanding of complex design. An obsessional neurotic, Kusama utilizes her Infinity Nets paintings as a means of channeling her anxiety and expressing her artistic impulses. In a sense, Infinity Nets establish her identity as a female Japanese artist in the realm of a male dominated Post-War art world. 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.