日本藝術家草間彌生(Yayoi Kusama),1929年生於日本長野縣松本市。由於十幾歲之際曾經藉助畫圖以減緩自身對於幻覺的恐懼,於是立志成為畫家。1948年進入京都市立美術工藝學校日本畫科就讀,1952至1955年間舉辦多次個展,開啟其藝術生涯。1957年草間彌生赴美國發展,開始從事前衛藝術創作,1960年代草間於歐美藝術界嶄露頭角進而迅速受到矚目,1973年返回日本並定居至今,其創作類型包括平面繪畫、軟雕塑、立體裝置、以及具表演性質的偶發藝術等。直至今日仍然保持豐沛的創作動力,且於世界各國舉辦展覽,可謂日本當代最具知名度以及影響力的藝術家之一。 其中,尤以「圓點」、「網目」元素以及「反覆」、「增生」的手法最具代表性。「反覆」與「增生」是將元素不斷的重覆並大量產生,創造出作品延伸的無盡之感。數量眾多的「圓點」及「網目」則是其作品中經常運用的元素,同時造就具高度辨識性的個人風格。 因此,本文將以草間彌生及其作品為中心,首先介紹草間之生平與藝術背景,其次將其藝術作品依平面、立體、環境、表演等四種形式做分類歸納,並探討草間的藝術風格與創作脈絡。接著透過精神分析,藝術治療及女性主義理論,從而對草間的作品對內的療癒及對外的性別意象做探討,並剖析其透過創作進而達成自我療癒的過程。
Yayoi Kusama (1929- ), born in Matsumoto City, Nagano County, Japan, mitigated the fear of illusion by painting in her teens, and then aspired to be an artist. Kusama attended Kyoto Art Craft School in 1948. She held numerous solo exhibitions in Japan from 1952 to 1955, as a starting point for her artistic career. Kusama left to the United States alone in 1957, and began creating more avant-garde works. She received public attention for showcasing her art in the art world in the United States and Europe in the 1960s. She returned to Japan in 1973 and resided there until now. Her works include painting, soft sculpture, three-dimensional installation, happenings of performance art, etc. She still continues to make art and holds exhibitions around the world until today. Kusama is considered to be one of the most well-known and influential artists in the contemporary art of Japan. Among her works, the elements such as “dots” and “nets,” as well as the expression of ”repetition” and “accumulation,” are the most iconic styles in her art. The “Repetition” and “Accumulation” suggests that a large number of elements are repeated and produced to extend the infinity of the work. A large number of “dots” and “nets” are also frequently used for establishing her idiosyncratic style. Thus, this thesis will focus on Yayoi Kusama and her works. First, Kusama's life and her artistic training will be introduced. Second, an analysis will be made based on the categories of painting, three-dimensional work, environmental piece, and performance, to examine the artistic style and context of her works. Third, I will refer to psychoanalysis, art therapy, and feminist theory to look into not only inwardly the therapy of the artist, but also outwardly the image of gender in her artworks. Last but not least, this paper seeks to dissect the self-healing process through her art.