In conversation: Takashi Murakami

thank you for coming the I killed New South Wales to hear this conversation between Takashi Murakami and Justin Patten as part of our exhibition Japan supernatural which opens the public tomorrow morning my name is Michael Brandt I'm the director of the art gallery New South Wales and it's always important and a pleasure to to acknowledge that we're meeting here on gadigal land and to acknowledge the role of the gadigal people of the eora nation in caring for the land over so many thousands of years and so many generations and to pay my respects their elders both past and present and to see how we work with the emerging generation of leaders I'm here at the gallery in particular with our indigenous advisory group chaired by the artist I'm Tony Albert the Japan supernatural exhibition is part of the Sydney International Art Series that we run here every summer this year our partner exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary Art is the exhibition by cornelia parker this program is supported by the New South Wales Government through destination New South Wales also we are pleased to have as our principal patron and public programs patron Gandil philanthropy in Melbourne a major Asian exhibition and education partner is viz Asia and a major sponsor is ey I must also acknowledge our fantastic curator of the exhibition our senior curator of Asian art Melanie Eastburn now you've come to hear Takashi Murakami who really is an artist who needs no long introduction he is one of the world's most recognized and most adventurous artists I had the pleasure of meeting first up in 1996 at the Queens and art gallery when he was part of just the second iteration of the asia-pacific trial and I was at that time that the Queensland art gallery was the first major art museum in the world to acquire a major work by takashi i had the pleasure of renewing my acquaintance with takashi last year at his studio outside of Tokyo and we raised the idea of commissioning a work for the Japan supernatural exhibition thankfully he he took on our challenge you've probably heard him say a couple of times really that he has been a tough year for him we gave him a real big challenge but when you see the exhibition you will see he is totally risen to the occasion Takashi will be in conversation with Justin Patton who was our head of international art here at the art gala of New South Wales and he had the pleasure of I think three studio visits with Takashi during the commissioning process and that is also very very important part of a commission to have that fantastic relationship between the artist and the commissioner so with no further ado please join me in welcoming Takashi Murakami and Justin Patten [Applause] okay good afternoon everyone I think we are all here at the art gallery of New South Wales feeling like you know iPhones with like 3% left in the batteries and we're thinking get let's get to the opening tonight it's been a big week and my special thanks to takashi murakami and also to Yuko Sakata whose wonderful translator a writer herself for being here with us they are certainly being buffeted by the time zones I think the travel isn't always some easy on our artists visitors but I think what I would what I want to say above all particularly for our big ticketed summer shows which as you know are often historical shows we might be dealing with masterpieces from The Hermitage we might be looking at Picasso we might be looking at REM brain but how fantastic with this show Japan's supernatural curated by Melanie's Byrne to have live artists in the building Takashi Murakami also for Yoko Matsui and Chihaya Shima who are here here with us today very warm welcome to them and hitter Tackett Izawa taro Yamamoto and who else have I missed now Lani Topham oh thank you who are there reminding us that the art of the past was made in the present you know historical art is of the now and if it's great then it feels like it's always alive and and with us so Takashi you have joined us on this slightly while but very exciting adventure of making a new work for the heart of the show and I think as you will see when you take the Japan supernatural ticket which came with your attendance here today and visit the show that Takashi has unleashed a huge jolt of energy in the middle of the show I think there's great or almost pure pictorial force that comes off the painting that he has he has made for the show and Takashi I wanted to to get the ball rolling and also bearing in mind that you are rolling through the time zones and probably a little jet-lagged and knowing how much you do how many projects how many different artworks I want to ask you a simple question which is how do you keep the energy up for so much creative work it's you know I'm wearing for a strange costume right now because I'm 57 years old but I still you know how to do something for the making a film like finished up like you know jellyfish eyes part 2 it's a you know spend a lot of money you know kind of you know this is a I have to finish next year so until until you know enough this time I have to survive that's why you know I have to do anything for give for these movies you know energy so so how do you what drives you then I mean you this our enterprise is a crazy one we make pictures we make movies we make music we make performance but something has to get some people up out of bed in the morning with more Drive than others and when I look at the scope of your activity you are driven you know it seems that every day you get up and you snap away cursed Akashi Murakami and the projects start to fly what does it in you what is it in your background that gave you their Drive and their push Cassini to get you know what Nakamura - no - okay I'm a karateka Nagato Natori como tu a never give a joke Eric rajala Scott it's honestly I am very lucky because you know when I was 18 19 years old I saw the Hayao Miyazaki movie animation movie and Katsuhiro Otomo Akira you know the comic book I was give up I have no talent to make folder you know kind of cartoonist whoa making animation thing that's why you know I have to choose but I still love to you know making something to visual something so at the moment in you know re 80s in the Japanese society have a big boom in you know commercial what is the question you know it's kind of I just you know I want to survive I have to survive that is my motivation oh my god getting oh sorry guys confusing so if we can jump to the okay so Takashi here you are at tycoon very recently the if you like the many the many faces of Takashi Murakami you lead a very public life I mean many people here they know your face they know your appearance they know your clothing your brand as well as your art do you where does creativity happen because we think of you lead a public life almost a celebrity life but we think of art as a very private thing something that happens in solitude do you need solitude to make art or is it that big world of social connections that inspires you sorry you go you need to help me again no but of all I know public Kanako Tokina I know there are certain desk a demo I thought scooter key creativity demo Naniwa and we studied it what you can tow capacity of this car sorry time I saw you we are gonna say cuts color it's you know that I'm lives in in the studio so my studio is 24 hours shift I mean you know anytime to you know back and forth to you know in front of me the people that mean I have no private right so it's a you know but you know sometimes I want to keep my very private but same time this is very you know not good constants when I you know very you know lucky - Constance - just stand alone alone in a studio I got the many idea and I need help assistance that's why you know which is good is someone to you know help me about print out stuff and you know kind of that I have a jamming for a you know iPhone or something so I need you know I need a help someone that's why you know in my you know psychologically I need you know private something but making something I don't necessarily to keep you know just around the solitude yeah so we have some images here of your studio space inside talent which is an astonishing comp it's not the only place that you make art and animations and so on but a huge studio I mean you have many people working there areas that deal with model making a painting area garments are being made I think one of the first things that strikes a visitor is how tidy it is you know it's very orderly very clean there are charts with personnel listed you once talked about Francis Bacon studio and how when you saw it you thought Francis Bacon must have been a madman what does your studio and Saitama say about you and your mind we must get ominous a toast at the quiere expand llamo cotton on disco Monica miss Anastasio meet it welcome someone to restore that thought you just you know people mention for the when people watch into my studio oh this is a small company president you know each month to worry about bankruptcy so something like that reality like maybe like a small company president very familiar to landscape I think yes it's you know it's true in all a dream and when one goes back through your history I mean there are some amazing images of the spaces where for instance you're working with the here upon moment very early on and it's not that long ago that you were working in a small space with a small number of people did you ever see this ahead of you did you did you know that the an art practice so large so various was what you are aiming for is Catoe Amano Jana joke of the coal conquer the domestic Oh honestly yes because you know I need a my one of the goal is I have to make him further looks like Lucasfilm a special effect factory so and that mean like I have to employee for you know four hundred five hundred people and I came to its in I was researching for her I came to the New Zealand to the weight studio Peter Jackson studio so you know what is the freedom right now is come using photo computerization anything like a computerization images and computerization sculpting it's anything to link who is you know programming but I have nothing to the you know education and background in programming so that mean I have to make him for the factory so damning you know very early moment when I starting food my studio so I have no money and you know I you know kind of the I offer to the you know University please help me you know please you know bran Tia to my stuff and then like 20 people came and I first my question is you know for the these guys someone having a computer in Macintosh is coming right now so please you know give me so and then two people is bring me and these guys you know having a job so but this is a frontier so and then you know starting for you know kind of the communication it's kind of you know we I can see I saw the reality in what is a call hmm so the Lucasfilm I am he's one of them I go you often you know I know when we spoke in your studio on Saitama you often reach for comparisons to the world of film you might talk about Peter Jackson or George Lucas or Star Wars or anime that influenced you as a young person and you have described yourself and interviews often as a as a geek can you I know that that term carries special meaning can you unpack it for us tell us what that means to say you are attacker in the skin of the woman so know what icon it's it a suppose it's a mr. malesko okay right now so I'm very sleepy because exactly jet rock right and that was same time too I saw too much to the metrics you know one of them my favorite right now is a dark no no it's a David Fincher's firm like mind hunter mind hunter was and also the beta cause oh and looks like that you know almost like a whole time to watching to the you know Netflix freaks and I didn't watch into the you know game of was wrong epic Erica I guess like a episode I don't know season 8 SAT yet so it's it's just you know I want to watching today you know something geeky you know stuff yeah so I have nothing to thinking about you know contemporary or something but you know anything is came from the you know geek idea and so in my painting but you know I was wrong in you know kind of language from you know what is a contemporary art drama so and also the you know making a painting and sculpture grammar so that's why I can do something like that you know looks like contemporary art stuff but from the concept is almost like you know 80% came from the geek culture mm-hmm that's why so tell us about you know it's a very interesting moment when you go from Japan to the US for the first time and you're a Japanese artist looking at the American art scene you're also an artist in New York looking back at Japan what what did that move reveal to you or how did it change you as an artist going to New York oh it's before I came to New York I was thinking about you know III was using how can I say this is a grammar when I study in you know in Japan study in English is you know how to follow the very you know precise grammar but you know go to the New York say you know like you know bro something like that it's it's you know the teacher you know cannot teach me so kind of that look at New York contemporary art situation is the same thing we have to run in a bra you know language so this is my bra language and you are in works like these you are taking things that you may have known from Japanese geek culture or anime you know cartoon characters and sending them out into the American art world but how was that use of Japanese culture scene back home in Japan how did how did your colleagues and audience in Japan react to work at this moment until now super bad it's you know it's really sad honestly sad this morning I led Facebook my friend that geek no not not friends right guys I just you know father like a several geeky professional geek people so a professional geek people mean like an animation director or you know geek film director or game creator something that and these guys chatting food about the Japanese comic the original drawing goes to Paris and this was a very expensive price is what is a hell so but you know in my mind is a you know Japanese the manga will be coming to the next ochio and stuff so this is a logic but until now like geek you know professional people couldn't understanding for that what is a barrier what is you know creative you know saturation it's you know they don't want to understanding for a museum industry a kind of de you know high cross it's it's you know in a Western world is a you know kind of dividing for the high art robot more commercial wine hmm so but in Japanese you know creative people or creative people is believe everything is Fratus I agree about that but you know and then I you know transform translation food using for the Contemporary Art grammar bring from the Japanese key culture to higher damming the real geek people is Takashi using photo fake something so and then for example this mister table you know kind of that face oh just you know silver background very low technique how much is hot what you know $20,000 itself it's you know my drawing is much better than you you are this you know painting oh my goodness you know you know I don't want to go to that wisdom in artwork something like that that's where you know still now very bad reaction so then you put put together a very famous show which has your work in it but also the work of many many other artists of your generation called super flat and that term super flat refers to this flattening that you speak of at least that's my understanding but please tell us what you what you were hoping to catch in that term yeah it's when I before the day view the art scene I was a lot of learn from the American simulation ISM the pop art new painting and simulation is becoming Jeff Koons which are praise my basement like kind of that New York you know school so that mean you know oh that that moment was you know Japanese art scene everybody emulate about this you know movement and then you know were long the spinning so like using for the English and the Japanese Japanese people using English is exactly you know wrong so really you know embarrassing so but you know I think we have to create some editing for the title about what is our movement so simulation is it's great and then you know they can using for the Nike and a motor borrow or something like that oh so we can using for that Japanese manga and you know lose World War two so and then it's this is an idea and then one of them our my garage the Brahmin Bulgarian verse answers that these guys one day these guys showing my show like like my frat painting like a mr. dog you know painting show and then I came to that this runs a small gallery and the galleries talking about talking about my painting is all takashi murakami came from japan japanese between super honest bravura and he says super fraud oh I can use him for this world so super flat is cannot understand it what is that so and then you know what is a super fast super flat so because you know I using for the super fat before I made the world is pop press otaku Oh me poke you or something like that but no one no one follow me oh this is belong Paco is not good and then I adding for the new title is a super fraud is you know people wake up this is good title and then after that I added in for the concept you know you know that you know what is the vardas I look at you know like a United States President right this is a real world sorry and you've also spoken about the influence of a an exhibition you saw at the new Museum in New York you saw a performance exhibition by Bob Flanagan yeah and you know very famous performance artist that very extreme performance works and I wonder if we jump to this very famous work of yours if you can talk about you know I mean these qualities of some provocation but also humor I think some there's equality of the trickster about you Takashi and I wonder if you can talk about how New York changed that for you or brought that on okay when I see at high school or kids at Japanese in Japan some museum I saw the load on Bartok sculpture and what is that looks like a log it's a kind of old guy no interested and no naked so I don't understand so block so but you know that this sculpture is very famous and then I love that sculptures you know history he's you know you know art world history having each time Erica each you know five years ten years having a turning point so what is a turning point he was you know link who is a you know social movement like come to some big war or like like economy crash or some like movement kind of sexuality movement or something like that so at the moment was I remember that HIV was very popular to popular issue so when I watching to the movie so like kind of the small theater movie can find out easily to God the main theme he's HIV so it's people will start to fear about the sex issue so that's why you know back to that you know Japanese culture is in joyful it's kind of not a joyful life it's a gift Archer is you know like kind of that like a really creepy you know that what like a pure it's a it still enjoy for the you know sexual issue dumbing you know computer far away in US and Japan and then our culture is can enjoy food you know sex something so and this is this guy is a head hairstyle is a final fantasy may be number seven or something like that and the Lhasa is came from the you know Japanese animation very famous admitted Yoshinori Canada's forum so it's kind of the mixture you know the best onset very strange section if he came from Japan press like a fear about the sexuality in you know American culture and then editing for the final fantasy press very famous the special effect animated stuff and then my lonesome cowboy so this is a this is a my sculptures and then but you know very lucky why why so I say I'm very lucky because one very famous curator find out Paul sim know so he works on Los Angeles mocha and he did a very nice show was helped us killed a show in this is a Lausanne he first time to introduce the worldwide to West Coast artists you know group and he found this sculpture and he choosing for the you know best attend in the war in a year and my this sculpture is number six in his that you know like at forums top teams oh yeah yeah so and then people mention for that this sculpture is what so but you know in my head is very stupid idea so that's why I say I'm very lucky like you like you like a you find you know me again and I bring here and the Commission me and I'm making heard a stupid cat paintings its thank for very sample so but in my head is stupid stupid thing anything so it's going to ask you you know are you an optimist or a pessimist but I could also ask are you an absurdist is there this is a word you can help me with Yuka I you you know you you often in your in your writings in your you know you will sort of talk about the foolish artist almost as though the artist is a fool or an idiot very self-deprecating but also you are very ambitious it is this idea of the phone resonate with you equal to tow a tourism 100 taka taka and get economy tiny idea that you must carry the more yes in takeda my return I discard the Carson or anumana watt or no mikata the kurakin silicon-silicon what don't see there are may be very of optimistic so because yeah I can say I could support maybe much you know maybe small company presents understanding for that what but is that me every month yeah it's a scary end of the Mansi that I have to pay for that you know salary scary [Laughter] speaking of optimism can we just jump forward through a few of these works so is that then you know yes yes yes why didn't you talk about this because this is a wonderful connection to Australia yeah did you yes of course yes so many of you some of you will recognize this work from the walls of Queensland Art Gallery in Brisbane and as Takashi has explained on a few occasions on this trip that in 1996 he is in the asia-pacific triennial and this am I right in saying it was the first museum acquisition of your work yes yeah yeah and what does this mean to you at that time to have a you know ob/ob air museum a long way from New York but what did that mean to you oh that that moment was I before I came to New York so and perfect triennial is a bring from the most asian and pacific oceans in artist so but you know this painting was you know I have a very bad memory because you know my best friend no no my kind of them my teacher my mentor I have a three metre so but this free mentor is you know much younger than me because you know I was you know I was wake up 20 when I was 26 years old so I saw the Schindler Otaki it's a Japanese contemporary artist show was I was shocking like oh my god what is that and it looks like you know three two days three days I couldn't forget about what is a shocking so and then you know I you know asking for them a friend of a friend to the very good kind of the understanding for the contemporary art method so and I you know I was asking for that you know menacing and go to the museum go to the New York together go to that you know or you know anywhere and then you know one of the guy she a kawaii is he is you know one of them very you know good friendship right you know every day almost every day drinking to the beer and you know talking about you know kind of look music or something but very close to with me and then I'm making for that this painting show and he said you know hey Takashi I have to say goodbye so because you painting is super unrespectable about wisdom you know contemporary art scene so this is what is that what's a hell this painting is oh it's no pop art you are original stupid design it's you know unrolling under new level you know Warhol stuff and I heard a story so this is not your paint like you offer to that you know warp inter so it's everything is you know you you are ways undisputable and no no I learn from you like you you teach me about so what is a USF boys what is discrimination is it's you know I using for that every technique and every concept that he said you know you misunderstand everything that's why that's why I have to say goodbye right so I have no friendship no I don't want to keep the no friend relationship with you bye-bye and then what son and but you know another two weeks three weeks the queensland art museum invited me and i bring you know want to bring this painting oh I don't understand which is true it's that that's why when I came to Australia and watching to the Pacific triennial cannot see the kind of the Western art and also the one of the Indonesian performance artist is looks like a kind of de berry or school festival is that what it's and then you know I was very you know my brain is mush up and you know confusing this isn't my memory but you know finally the Queensland gallery is both this painting yeah and then you know oh this is good reaction is very lucky yeah and that feeling you had of confusion or being in two minds where you're thinking was my friend right in his criticism or is the Queensland our gallery right in their endorsement in their acquisition yeah do you still feel that as an artist I mean does that feeling go away when you are 57 or does it stay on you still feel that as intensely as you did when you were 28 or 32 okay I am still wondering because when I see the first time to avoid Titan painting its I you know I want to do looks like that just print out beautiful right this is a conceptual art right oh my god my career is stupid like I using for the Japanese cartoon like it's really you know embarrassing still you know when I see that to add something I'm very passing still now it's same it's it's true so the day doesn't go away yeah because why do item pieces you know just you write a copy yeah it's the but I afraid about how long this you know painting you know survive maybe 10 years cannot do that oops food think about the insurance executive this is stupid you know question-and-answer so this is not you know contemporary artists brain system so you know contemporary artists brain system is doesn't matter anything right does mala so but I cannot do that so like a processor II to you know to worry about a very small thing mmm so can I ask you about the you know the flower paintings of paintings for which you are very very well known and these you know these blooms have kind of migrated everywhere they pop up on garments they pop up on posters they pop up in editions but when we were in the studio wants a you'll have to tell me if I remember this correctly but you you said something I mean people think of these as happy works right optimistic end up but you sit the children look at these works and understand that they are not only happy and remember what did you mean by that oh it's uh you know sale I know it's everyone too you know smiling is lying someone to lie that's why you know children understand oh this is scary yeah reckoned but young ladies big photo your happy face oh thank you so much but okay thank you it's a you know a kind of which is truth I don't know yeah yeah so in your mind if these are all if this is a large group of people who are buying into a lie or they are they're not telling themselves the truth about their emotions yeah which which society is this who are these people I would say you know if Takashi was saying that this may be an image of a social group there is perhaps falsely optimistic you know telling telling a lie to themselves is this an image of contemporary society is it a particular social group still not somebody take oh I don't know can you miss an idea what Aristotle said two stars revoir Amano Kent I know Chaka water was still miss Kazue tamale talk they know the video discuss oh this is just you know the image so that this painting the grandma came from the minimalism like a lobos linemen it's a you know kind of all over painting so know me it's a because you know my doctor cause you know how can I say long dissertation I do is a non sense of the meaning of sentences it's a kind of that everything is emptiness so but you know finally this is came from the the philosophy almost same so it's you know smiling face this is the design so but people mention for that this design but painting system why you know very how can a serious character can buy this painting this is you know I understand for a contemporary art drama this is you know this is a painting so but the smiling face is knowmy just smiling face you know I'm sorry but you know one thing is I survived like over 25 years like I using for a you know kind of tightrope so but this is a you know in a slideshow is that you know image but same time this is a painting so can we talk about some of the other things you do I mean you're immensely active as an exhibitor and we have you know for instance your spectacular installation the Palace of Versailles here but you are also simultaneously working as a collector you're a publisher you incubate young artists in Tokyo you are you know you're kind of galvanizing other people you're working with musicians and fashion designers why for you is it so important to be active on so many fronts simultaneously is it that tightrope that you're needing to kind of be a moving target so to speak it's honestly if I was born in u.s. or you know my kind of that in Paris New York I don't necessarily to do that anything just can't focusing further what you know add something but in Japan you know government you know making for the building for the museum but inside is you know right guy you know nothing it's a you know and also that no incubation for the young artist so that's why you know I have to try to you know myself to making for an ecosystem in my in my studio right because I improve for the mania even young people some some people is can you know can making a debut so and then I have to make him for the money thing I am making for a chance for the you know showing for the public that's why I have to make him for that you know first time to the gallery and management in a system and you know more young people is a small gallery and a more small store so and then you know making for the ecosystem I have to do many stuff so the reason came from the Japanese society it doesn't you know fit to is a contemporary art that's why mmm and how about your engagement with Virgil at law and particularly you know you're going from Sydney to complex conjugant ik pop culture kind of like sneakerhead conference come event come trade fear come such come circus that's going on so for you as an artist what are the what are the rewards what kind of feedback are you getting when you step out of gagauzian gallery and into this very very different world but Koshien guarantee having a store like in New York that means like I have to making a communication with the young people so the parrot anger also does talking so every gallery understanding for the how make I have to making a communication but this complex kong is my big turning point was Marc Ecko the who is a founder to the complex media he you know offer me to the you know please may please nano key for utopia 1000 meter committee host committee I'm sure yeah so I want to invite you the host committee you and the far L so but I don't understand what is that so and then you okay but we offer to some kind of design thing okay so I you know join with you guys and then go to the complex come fast here so anyone to understand II one to come mention my face okay looks like geek people who Takashi wow oh my god oh it's so why you know you know my face you how you mention for that oh sorry Takashi I'm shaking and please give me a sign right it's a kind of that it's kind of that you know completely different you know reaction I cannot you know imagine and I'm making for a you know many many autograph so but this is a completely new world so like an odd farm yes and no I don't know fashion fun I don't know but alternative you know zone kind of the you know very new culture I think so and then oh this is a what is a culture thing is a exactly you know complex call right so and still I'm still running this year is I'm trying to bury you know big gambling to in complex cone a part number for this year fourth year Chicago as well so I have at the kai Kai ki KI gallery having a huge booth and I we have several own show record Misaki mister Oh time workshop it's you know it's major major you know piece to just focusing for the complex calm so not Art Fair so I don't know this is cancerous or not but you know me like this market and that this culture is you know already finished up warming so this these people already you know want to be what is the answer right now I think I thought that's why you know I'm making for the big gamble this year but this is a you know completely shifting for that you know culture you know movement from the loss answers and can we can we jump from that moment and we might just skip that and I wonder if you could speak briefly about your collecting activity because I think this is a super interesting dimension of what you do and something that people may not know that you are an addition to making many objects you collect many objects and this is you sitting I think in what you called the brain of your exhibition at Yokohama is that correct this was the sort of central space known as Takashi's brain and we can see this is new Gironda known as sculpture there there's bananas in pajamas am i right oh this is a very big cross uh-huh yeah Germany artists yeah beautiful ceramics Yoshimoto Nara it looks like in the day so tell us how does collecting involve how does it feed you're making is it an extension of your practice a relief from your practice okay could you change for the Michelson cover image I'm sure yeah it's you know one of the big shock in my experience I'm for that year but this sculpture was 16 million dollar so and I was in this auction so but you know why the reason is could you back to that my collection thing yeah I want to buy to the Ottoman era scripture so that's why I sitting so and then you know my pride and my my toes I'm cowboy price is raised up sixty million dollar so but I'm very you know embarrassing so this visa I couldn't understand but I'm waiting for your stubbornness sculptures bidding is very last and then okay coming to the you know bidding and I offer to the my next to my assistant prison is you know pad or and you know like a two hundred thousand three hundred thousand four hundred soldiers sick under so done and the finally my assistant is and finally III you know I did myself right yes so and then finally this you know piece was about medium data but I have no money so at the moment but I have nothing to I have no idea so but you know and then you know I got this piece and then I was yes looks like that piece yes but you know taking a photo and the next next day the some you know art media is out Akashi Murakami getting a 60 million dollar is this face he's very happy but this is wrong Rekha awooo I got them not not as pieces I was happy so and then you know I have to thinking about the water what's a mean like a 60 million dollar so and I'm very afraid about it because you know I I couldn't understand it for the art business system so and you know I lend it for the money and I pay for the salaries and I I got you know your stammen RFPs and you know after the sixty million dollars you know effect these are my pieces very good self under laser price but I still very you know fear but what what you know be happy and then I have to I thought I have to train for a buying for a contemporary art piece plus when I you know interested something I want to buy and I have to you mention in myself - what is a reaction so some art is I spend out six hundred six hundred thousand dollar super expensive and this you know piece is after two years is prices down oh my god I lose the money but this is Lucic you know a stock option so odd business out you know auction you know world is just exactly stock option what I really understood so that mean what is you know what is a price mean is still I couldn't understand but you know someone to raise a hand so can selves so it's kind of you know still big mystery but you know almost understanding which how art piece can survive longevity and how you know concept is very short time so now I can understanding and I can tell you you know for the young my friend of the artist oh this is no good this is good so but this is you know not a logical thing like that this kind of the you know inspiration in my experience because despite particularly in the center of this huge show you have at Yokohama what I really love about this presentation is that you have super expensive Yoshi might in our sculpture but you also have like a coffee a little bit of fabric this is my you know mostly precious you know question nobody like 0 0 you know Dhara but some the antique store owner to gift for me but this is a most precious thing that is you know it's it's kind of therefore in love right it's a it's if you know in front of me is you know everyone to say you know this is beautiful women and you know you have to you know you have to make you fall in love disappointment but here is uh no good women but they're I fall in love this women but this is a you know kind of the barrier right so it's a you know art world is something like that you know fall in love system so but someone to navigate for that you know you have to fall in love to disagree you know something you you have to you know focus so that this time is a beautiful beautiful landscape it's you know very tricky you know this is a great circuit breaking show it just unsettles all those categories can we can we jump and I've chosen a slightly glibly chosen this image of you just to talk about a moment that I think Michael darling who created your show at the MCA talked about 2011 and he characterized it almost as a creative crisis I mean there's a big event that breaks into your world in that year and the form of the the earthquake and tsunami and East Japan and then that rocks you can you can you talk about what happens in your art at that point and what that meant to you know what you think that tsunami things you can do yeah until 2011 that tsunami stuff I couldn't believe their religion because my family was in a culture religion so I hate this situation so in Sunday you know they have to go to the you know stupid Church and you know kind of that Buddhism you know religion but one of the cult you know called people is you know we have to pray and a very fatty guy that looks like that guy it's you know oh my god what is a hell but you know that's why you know but my parents is follow that because when you know my parents came from the very countryside to Tokyo G's religion people have helped them helped my parents that's why you know they have to follow that but you know doesn't necessarily you know long-term like are they my parents is over you know 20 years to do this cult religion that's why you know I super hater you know calculation system but you know when I see when I watched tsunami effect just you know 20 minutes the thousand thousand people dead and watching to the TV about you know this happening oh it's Japanese nature is pretty strong and one shot to you know dead to the many people that's why we said eighty thousand God to pray how can I say eight million causes yeah eighty million eight million God's to Despres so yeah that is a you know kind of the nature you know religion hope to pray for the nature and then after the tsunami is comet comes up to the you know explosion for the nuclear power plant and the sky is rainbow Cara it's a effect from the maybe like a radiation something so and you know my studio neighborhood still having a very strong radiation so but you didn't know that still still I guess about its you know I don't know like a radiation is very scary or not but I was very scary but now is I survived like maybe no problem because you know you know freeze mention for the in hospital right so you you know someone to kind of anytime to radiation record yeah switchable town that guy that people is up to dead right can survive maybe like it's okay at the moment was I was so scary this is you know explosion the nuclear power plant and then the level is you know like over 20 times to high level compared with an oval so you see the maybe Netflix or Amazon AWS Amazon Prime or somewhere like a Chinook we you know the drama is very scary that in you know my neighborhood that is super scary so and then okay so nature a disaster having a lot of you know very bad circulation to you notice as to making for the next disaster so that's why you know eight million God to pray the Japanese people recently so big typhoon a lot to coming to you know the scent of the Tokyo and you know but we have we have no you know we have no belief to the the God so but you know looks like Japanese people have to pray for the nature that's why you know we're from than religion religion is the power of the nature so and then I'm making for that tsunami painting and I'm making for a five hundred are hot painting so this is a I used to you know you know say this is the stupid religion is stupid but and after that tsunami is religion have to you know keep because you know people have to making a heating so one of the you know documentary stuff like you know camera goes to the you know small children and hey so where is your parent and you know children's you know crying and someone to say you know these children goes to the star and you know the camera zoom up this is stupid documentary it's not and but this is a religion right the have to say right Sunday you know parents goes to star so that is a you know very primitive religion that's why you know religion you know and each religion however some big reason so and then I have you know now so I'm very you know I am very you know serious Shintoism that right now so you know every day to to you know pray for God the nature of God so but you know that was a very big turning point yeah and when you're making a work like this one which we are so thrilled and amazed to have upstairs there is a palpable shift in the kind of images you're using and there's a kind of uptick in the intensity of the work as well I think that is that astonishingly active it's almost like stained glass or enamel inlay paint work where are you finding these images you know you had a new subject to address you had this tragedy you wanted to take on clearly you're reaching into history with these images you not new were you heading into the library with those stories you knew from childhood oh it's you have experience with me this time right yeah same thing like you big cat painting right so you gave me the you so please Takashi please making for the yokai issue the painting and then I immediately making for a samurai drawing baseball right and then this is completely emptiness in my head and like you know after six months are you asking me hey Takashi so you are studying for them making out drawing something I say yes and you know next two days three days I have to make a drawing and yeah this is a very at painting is a very fast sketch and then you know oh my god Oh almost you know deadline is coming and yes I I have some several small meeting with my assistant oh okay so we have a deadline next to four months five months we have to be searching for that you know so could you you know they might join no am i doing yes I want to make him for something like that painting so that the theme is samurai pros like yokai press something please research and then you know my assistants you know understanding what about sway and then you know buying in Amazon many books and you know researching in you know website and like you know over a thousand you know images you know put on the you know image print out and they put on the walls and then I choosing for that you know making for that you know poster kind of a sign this is great looks like you know that process you know 25-meter painting was this painting was you know I really want to homage to them my teacher - no suji is he's my mentor he's a historian in Japanese art history and so you know I want to tell him about sank for so give me the chance the you a book you know have you know a big big you know idea in my brain that's why you know this painting for for him so and then I you know researching again for his book and his out of his book images and composite in in this paintings what Akashi I think we're moving towards the end of our but I just want to jump forward and just take the audience very quickly through just some moments from the creation of the work that you will see upstairs here's a spread that appears in the catalog early days for the design Takashi's thumbing through those books from Amazon rapidly at this moment but just to give you a sense of the intensity of the making and maybe you know one thing that's very interesting to me is that when I look across the full spread of your career we've gone from superflat to super cat you know the big story and but one thing that's common all the way through is the intensity of finish you know that you you love a well-made object you're nothing leaves the studio that is not perfect and every respect why is that why do you feel that conviction about filling the world with beautiful you know things that are perfect down to the last detail got a moment Alito I'm picking his chair at a motel with cushy Koodiyattam oh no do you know if I could've algorithm on the scale the moon Stasi Okara become picky not the Wisconsin idea pushing a deterministic another so it's conceivable are not screech I disco that mean this is this is a my you know my business you know if I'm making for the watch I have to you know action to release to the in audience Oh customer so I am professional painter that's why that's a that's a wonderful final statement so can I perhaps around off just by saying something that I think we we curators you know we maybe take the paintings on our walls for granted from time to time but I think one of the wonderful things about having all these historical Japanese masterpieces in the building oh yeah but alongside a new work by Takashi wonderful works by Chiho and Foucault and hit at her and others is to remember that there is nothing and then there is something the artist has to make the thing and that's what makes our history happen and that's what make makes our museums tick over so Takashi we would like to thank you very much for coming so far and being with us [Applause] you know connecting to you guys like the catalog is very nice educational thing about very you know unique approach talking about you know Japanese monster history so I was very impressed about you know this show plus you know catalog is great so please you know watching today in a bookstore it's it's you know very honest because you know very special like no creative to the attack unit ok amenities Melanie yeah she did a very good job about some it's very very good yeah you know watching to that inability of course okay thank you everyone and we we hope you enjoy the show was the one more I use Michael was just going to say a few words Takashi thank you so much on behalf of all of us here at the Akio New South Wales for your so openly sharing your insights into how you approached art some of the places arts taking you but also for honestly sharing some of the so that the doubts and worries that can follow even artists like you so so highly respected around the world Justin thank you for leading in conversation thanks for leading the commissioning of the work so I didn't mention the radiation before I sent you up there a few times but someone had to go and and I'm Yukos thank you thank you very much also for full working so closely with us thank you [Applause]

Channel: Art Gallery NSW

Views: 8,830

Rating: 4.9310346 out of 5

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Id: 8BCIBc3y2ak

Length: 69min 40sec (4180 seconds)

Published: Mon Jan 06 2020