Petals 1988

Yayoi Kusama made this piece called Petals, and she did it, like much of her work, by building pattern on pattern. Kusama’s like, a master of obsessive mark-making! Look at these petals, how they repeat and shift, creating a rhythm that’s both soothing and slightly unsettling. The red is so alive, it’s like the whole surface is vibrating. Each petal is outlined in black, filled with white, and then dotted with these little green spots. The green gives depth and stops it from being overwhelming. Notice how each petal is slightly different? I love how the variations keep your eye moving. It’s not about perfection, but about the process, the act of making itself. It reminds me a little bit of Matisse, but with a totally different kind of energy. It’s hypnotic, but also full of life. You could just get lost in there.