I feel fortunate to live in a city with such a multitude of diverse and eclectic "art" venues. I enclose the word in quotes because what does that word mean? I was asking myself that very question while wandering and wondering through the Murakami exhibit at the Geffen Contemporary at MOCA last Friday.My Webster's New World Dictionary defines art as primarily the "human ability to make things; creativity of man as distinguished from the world of nature." The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy notes, "Whether art can be defined has also been a matter of controversy."
This is not an exhibit I would have chosen to go to on my own. It was GZ's idea and I went along. Sometimes I'm in situations where I am completely surprised at my reaction to artwork I did not expect to like. And vice versa. But in both cases there is an emotion invoked. Some feeling of, oh wow, this is tremendous. Or a visceral disgust. Either way, it affects me on some deep level.
The Murakami exhibit had neither effect. I am left feeling ambivalent. I admit, attempting to find a parking space downtown on a weekday was a mistake. A lot of my energy was used up driving around for an hour. The parking lot across the street, where I usually park, and was clearly signed as MOCA parking, was being used for restaurant parking only. We ended up at Union Station and walked back. I enjoyed the walk, but all that searching while behind the wheel was still whirling around in my head when we arrived at the museum. As driving in traffic is one of my top ten hatreds in life, perhaps it clouded my perception.
To start with, I am really not into cartoon "art." It doesn't appeal to me. I watched several of the videos on the MOCA website before and after viewing the exhibit in the hope I might glean some insight. But I have the same emotional response to and interest in this as I have towards "Hello Kitty." The rack I would pass by in a souvenir store.
As an illustrator, I think Murakami is fabulous. He certainly has a great imagination. And kudos to him for making his ideas into a multi-million dollar world-wide business. As if to emphasize that, our last stop in the exhibit was the Louis Vuitton gallery filled with the signature handbags. Evidently, Murakami teamed up with LV, embellishing the bags with vibrantly-colored motifs. Business seemed to be good. A mother with her own LV original was buying a Murakami bag for her ten-year-old daughter who was visibly excited. Another customer was a twenty-something, thin, artsy-looking girl. Okay, so I don't get this either. My favorite handbag I bought at the JC Penney outlet store for less than $10. And I get a lot of compliments on it. These LV-Murakami bags are in the hundreds (I saw one on ebay for over $600.)
Nevertherless, as an appreciator of art and all its weird and curious paths, I'm glad I saw the exhibit, if only to confirm that this kind of thing is not my cup of tea.
(Photo copyright Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles)
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