 Godzilla,
Hello Kitty and friends are among the cast of characters
making an appearance in Little Boy: The Arts of Japan’s
Exploding Subculture. The exhibition is on view in New
York City’s Japan Society through July 24, 2005.
Packed
with all the punch of a pachinko parlor, the show is
much more than just fun and games. Artist and Louis Viutton
handbag designer Takashi Murakami is the creative force
behind the exhibition’s candy-coated surface. Stemmed
from the bomb that was dropped on Hiroshima, Little Boy
aims to show that these cuddly critters and sci-fi fantasies
that surround Japan’s pop culture are a response
to World War II and its aftermath. To push the point,
Murakami has brought hundreds of artists together to
conceptualize Japan’s kawaii, or “cute”,
culture. Everything from vintage toys, anime films, comic
strips, and monster movies are on display.
This
all-consuming show explores the cuteness and darkness that
are a part of Japan’s exploding past and present.
The anime here is definitely an inspiration point that
encompasses characters and comics amidst city and futuristic
sci-fi landscapes. Shedding a light on Japan’s national
psyche never looked so cool!
Visit www.japansociety.org for
more information.
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