Our Polka Dot Lives
Smallness: Yayoi Kusama’s dotted Pumpkin on stainless steel is a rendition of the narcissism mirrored balls she personally sold for $2 at the MoMa. Jellyfish present dots as they float through life. Thom Browne presented a picnic ballgown with polka dots.
An array of polka dotted ensembles in the Thom Browne Spring 2023 show evoked happiness. I would wear the grey ballgown with white polka dots (look 54 above) to a picnic in the park. It also summoned up the affirmation that we are merely dots, specks even, in a world of creatures. Like jellyfish, humans have over trillions of microbes that look like dots. Some of these allow survival while others destroy. The parallelism of art, nature and fashion brings appreciation of the connectedness in our smallness.
Yayoi Kusama – avant-garde artist
Thom Browne – fashion designer
Jellyfish – ocean creature
Anti-fashion artist Yayoi Kusama’s dots allow her to get lost into a physical environment. Seeing the nets of infinity on the ocean inspired her to escape fear by creating her own world.
“I convert the energy of life into dots of the universe and that energy along with love flies into the sky.” -Yayoi Kusama
The pumpkins that spoke to her as a child now speak to the world. Beyond hallucinations, polka-dotted pumpkins, dresses and jellyfish can bridge our external and internal domains. From finger-painting polka dots as a kid to expressing her love for humanity through her art, she brings us back to childhood and insignificance.
“I wish for life’s bright sunshine”. -Yayoi Kusama
Parallelism: Kusama found pumpkins humorous. Her yellow and black PUMPKIN is an ode to NYC due to the many yellow cabs covering the city. Thom Browne S2023 was filled with Varsity polka dot delights. Spotted jellyfish present dots.
Bottom Line
Kusama’s art comes from a distressed place. But, the pleasant part of it is getting out of that place through creativity. An uplifting vibe might accompany staring at polka dots at the museum, in the ocean, on your clothes, or out in the universe. Looking at her dots are a reminder of the nets that hold us together, that intertwine us. It is the accumulation that provides significance. From dresses to jellyfish, the dots of the universe shine brighter when together. There is no first draft for life, unless reincarnation is in your star charts, so find happiness everywhere you look.
“Dots: A single particle among billions.” -Yayoi Kusama