Kusama: Infinity

Yayoi Kusama (b. 1929) always wanted to be a painter. Growing up in pre-war Japan, she was actively discouraged from pursuing her passion by her parents, and her journey was further complicated by a dysfunctional upbringing. Filmmaker Heather Lenz’s profile charts Kusama's career of breaking barriers and boundaries, sometimes at great personal cost. Exposed to childhood trauma (not covered in depth here), Kusama was plagued by obsessions and mental problems, and in later years made several suicide attempts (the face she presents to the world is often inexpressive and unsmiling). Early on, she was inspired by American artist Georgia O'Keeffe, even writing to her to seek advice. Limited by sex stereotypes in Japan, Kusama moved to New York in the 1950s, but found it hard to attract a patron, land a solo artist gallery opening, and generally deal with the male-dominated art world. Kusama: Infinity illustrates the artist’s recurring motif of polka dots, which carry a tactile, hypnotic feel, as well as her later soft sculpture and performance art, which included late 1960s nude anti-war happenings that earned her the label of "scandal lady" (Andy Warhol became a fan). Kusama returned to Japan in the early ‘70s, where her mental problems continued, but she kept working, and even checked into an institution "managing madness" through art therapy. Now approaching age 90, she seems to have found contentment. Featuring interviews with Kusama, critics, and friends, this is an engaging portrait of one artist’s slow climb to international recognition and success. Recommended. (S. Rees)