Lucky Gods Festival 1997

Tadanori Yokoo's Lucky Gods Festival is a trip; it's like a poster, a painting, and a dream all rolled into one. The pink fish float through the air with such detailed scales, they almost seem real, yet, they are swimming in a world of pure graphic imagination. Look closely and you'll see how he builds up the surface, layering flat planes of color with intricate details. It's a wild mix of high and low, where traditional imagery collides with pop sensibilities. Take the mountain on the right side, its craggy surface made of such flat planes, with those tiny figures scattered, that gives the piece a sense of depth but also a very strong sense of graphic flatness. Yokoo's work always reminds me that art is an ongoing conversation, a remix of ideas and images across time, like a crazy collage where anything is possible. Think of him as a Japanese Peter Blake, with a bit of Warhol thrown in for good measure. Ultimately, it's up to you to decide what it all means.