Ascension of Polkadots on the Trees 2006

Yayoi Kusama made ‘Ascension of Polkadots on the Trees’ without a date, covering trees and orbs in a vibrant red and white pattern. Imagine Kusama, diligently applying each dot, lost in a meditative act that transforms ordinary trees into otherworldly forms. I see her process as one of obsessive accumulation, reflecting the infinite and the self. Each polka dot, a small universe, expands across the tree, blurring the line between the natural and the artificial, reality and fantasy. I wonder what she was thinking while painting. Kusama's installations have a dialogue with folk art traditions and other pattern-based practices. I see the tree trunks and orbs as canvases for exploring the poetics of space, repetition, and the artist’s boundless imagination. The polka dots create an experience that invites us to question our perceptions and embrace the extraordinary within the everyday.