Yayoi Kusama, a prolific Japanese artist, is renowned globally for her distinctive style characterized by obsessive repetition, polka dots, and immersive environments. Throughout her lengthy career, one motif that stands out is the pumpkin, a subject that Kusama has revisited in numerous sculptures, paintings, and installations.
“PUMPKIN ARMY” (1985) draws upon this favorite motif.
In “PUMPKIN ARMY,” Kusama delves deep into her fascination with pumpkins, presenting them not as singular entities but as a collective force. The use of the term “army” emphasizes the repetitive nature inherent in much of her work, showcasing the power of multiplication and the enchantment of endless repetition.
Each pumpkin, with its bulbous form and unique patterns, is a universe unto itself. Yet, grouped together, they form an overwhelming sea of shapes and patterns, reflecting Kusama’s signature exploration of self-obliteration and the dissolution of the ego. It’s an exploration of the individual versus the collective, the one versus the many.
Kusama’s choice of the pumpkin as a symbol is rooted in her personal affinity for the vegetable. For her, the pumpkin represents comfort, nostalgia, and a sense of the cosmic — themes that reverberate throughout her oeuvre. In “PUMPKIN ARMY,” these themes are brought to the forefront, creating an artwork that is both intimate and expansive.
In conclusion, “PUMPKIN ARMY” is a quintessential Kusama work, encapsulating her unique blend of personal iconography, obsession with repetition, and exploration of the infinite. The piece invites viewers into Kusama’s enigmatic world, where the familiar becomes surreal, and the boundaries between self and universe blur.
