Kawashima Orimono 1997

Tadanori Yokoo made this image, Kawashima Orimono, and what strikes me first is the colour and graphic feel of it, how flat it is and how much is going on at once. It feels really contemporary but also draws on so many other art historical movements and eras; Pop art, Dada, traditional Japanese painting, it's like everything is in there having a conversation.   I love the mix of images and texts, flat planes of colour, and photographic portraits. The way the peaches and yellows overlap with the black, purple and red is kind of jarring but it also works, right? The colour palette is not necessarily one I would think of, but it has a really interesting depth because of its apparent arbitrariness. It feels like the artist is showing us the way that art is not about any one thing but is instead about the relationship between them. In his wider work, Yokoo is known for exploring themes of identity, mythology, and popular culture, and I think we can see these themes here.