Kaikai and Kiki; Lots of Fun 2009

Takashi Murakami made this flat, vibrant artwork, 'Kaikai and Kiki; Lots of Fun', and I love how he’s not afraid of the cartoon. I can imagine him in the studio, meticulously crafting those grinning flower faces, each one like a little sun, all happy, all the time, a total visual overload. Then comes Kaikai and Kiki floating over the top like mascots. You can see the black outlines, and clean color, its pure Pop Art. What I appreciate about Murakami is the layering, the building up of images upon images. This makes me think about Warhol's repetition, but in a totally new way. I see this as an expression of contemporary life, where we're bombarded with information and images all day long. He’s in conversation with art history but also with our digital culture, that makes it relevant and totally his own.