On June 10, Murakami Takashi , a well-known Japanese artist and founder of the ultra-flat art movement, came to Shanghai to hold a signing event for the Doraemon Uniqlo customized model UT he designed.
signing event site
signing event site, the cute "Murakami Takashi Doraemon" slowly walked towards the customers present. The design is different from the traditional blue skin. The original blue part is covered with colorful sunflower patterns, integrating many classic scenes of the Doraemon story. In terms of style, it still continues his "super flat" style, with bright and bright colors.
"Murakami Takashi Doraemon"
When Murakami Takashi was interviewed by a reporter from The Paper (www.thepaper.cn) that day, the reporter asked how to view the artistic value of subculture categories such as animation and games. He replied: "For example, the stained glass on the church was the latest art form when it was invented. However, as time goes by, it gradually became traditional art. Although subcultures such as animation and games may not have historical value, decades later, they will have the same artistic value as the so-called traditional art now."
"superflat" movement
so-called "superflat" is in English as "superflat". This is a mura English word created by Takashi Murakami, which means two-dimensional attributes in Japanese animation, artistic creation and graphic design, and also refers to the depth of Japanese popular culture. In the second Asia-Pacific Triennial "Present Encounter" in 1996, Takashi Murakami published the "Super Flat Declaration" with his work "Mr.DOB".
"Mr.DOB"
"Mr.DOB" looks somewhat similar to the Disney classic animated character Mickey Mouse. The image design refers to the work of Japanese cartoonist Yoshizawa Baekhi and the classic character Sonic of Japanese game company SEGA. The name is the first three letters of the meaningless mantra "どぼじで,どぼじて (DOBOJITE)" in the manga "The Countryside General".
So the "super flat" style itself is influenced by the dual influence of Japanese traditional culture and popular culture. Murakami Takashi himself is actually a major in Japanese painting. He explained to reporters why he used the elements of sunflower in this design.
Murakami Takashi's Sunflower
"This is actually a very serious process. We need to go back to the Edo era. The theme of painting at that time was flowers, birds, and romantic styles, and these styles taken from natural phenomena; because I majored in Japanese painting, I have always focused on painting flowers, but with my focus on modern art, I thought about how to combine my traditional training with modern abstract art . After thinking for a long time, my presentation method was to use this flower to use this flower. The theme of flowers is conveyed. At first, I adopted a traditional Japanese painter named Mitsulin. The paintings he made on his screen had a colorful drifting feeling. At that time, I imitated his style, and then gradually developed until now. "
Murakami Takashi Doraemon
"Murakami Takashi Doraemon" image was specially designed by Murakami Takashi for the "2017 Tokyo Doraemon Exhibition" held in Tokyo from November 2017 to February 2018.
At the opening ceremony of the "2017 Tokyo Doraemon Exhibition" on November 1, 2017, Takashi Murakami said: "In 2002, I drew Doraemon for the first time wearing bamboo dragonfly with my friends. This time I was commissioned to create a Doraemon work. I have considered a lot, what kind of work should I draw? After thinking about it, I realized that Fujiko·F·Fujio cost it. How much thought has I created a work like "Doraemon". I was able to express Mr. Fujiko's figure in the form of works. I also explained the question of 'what is art' in the works designed this time. Please enjoy it with all your heart."
2002 Takashi Murakami participated in the "Doraemon Exhibition"
The interview site at the Shanghai Signing Conference. A reporter asked Murakami which magic weapon I wanted for Doraemon, and Murakami Takashi replied that it was a time machine."Of course I want to go to the future to see what humans will become, whether the earth will hit meteorites and disappear, etc. Some of the issues that children are most interested in, such as how wide the universe is and what concept is time, so I want to take a time machine to see it."
This also reflects what he said when he released the "Declaration of Childhood Power" in 2003: "The aesthetic experience of animation is unique. It will touch your childish innocence and arouse your beautiful memories of childhood." On the day of the signing ceremony, Takashi Murakami wore a Doraemon suit, matching his honest image, and even practiced such a "deprecating aesthetic".
Murakami Takashi's early self-portraits
However, he also reminded reporters, "Everyone thinks my works are cute and colorful at first glance, but it may be because they have not held too many exhibitions in China, so they have such an impression."
He hopes that the audience can examine his works more from the perspective of modern art, and can look at and think about the theme more deeply. Different trends in modern art, such as pop art, minimalism, etc., are representative. These can also bring some way of thinking to the world.
"I once put forward the idea of 'super flat'. Through my works, I think modern art should have its own historical positioning, and through this historical positioning, it should have some meaning."
He once made it clear in the "Super Flat Declaration", "In the future, society, customs, art, and culture will become extremely flat like Japan... Today, Japanese video games and animation can best express this trait, and these have a powerful force in world culture."
