SPHERES OF REFLECTION

NARCISSUS GARDEN -- YAYOI KUSAMA

Spheres encompass round spaces, holding their contents, forming individual universes. When their surfaces are mirrored, they reflect outside worlds and those who gaze upon them.

Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama’s seminal work, Narcissus Garden, is a landscape installation of thousands of mirrored balls, which float on a pond, reflecting life that surrounds them.

You can see now Kusama’s latest installation of Narcissus Garden at The Glass House, Philip Johnson’s architectural masterpiece in New Canaan, CT.

Here, 1,300 mirrored spheres reflect wide swaths of the 49-acre landscape, the sky, the house, and all who come to observe. Walk through the lower meadow and forest to experience it all.

Each sphere measures 12” in diameter (30 cm). As they drift in the newly restored pond, moving with the wind and currents, the spheres, together with the landscape, form a dynamic kinetic sculpture. The shapes, patterns and reflections are ever-changing.

As a mirror besotted Narcissus, seducing him with his own reflection as he gazed into the lake, Kusama’s Narcissus Garden, with its thousands of mirrored spheres, exponentially interprets the Greek myth, drawing you in --- even more so, as you gaze upon many multiple selves.

Philip Johnson, a longtime admirer of Kusama, collected many of her works. It is especially poignant that Kusama’s Narcissus Garden is now gracing Johnson’s most iconic property in celebration of what would have been his 110th birthday and Glass House Museum’s 10th anniversary.

Originally created in 1966 for the 33rd Venice Biennale, Narcissus Garden was comprised of 1,500 silver globes on the lawn outside the Italian Pavilion. Images of Kusama, surrounding cityscape, and visitors, were repeatedly distorted and projected.

Since then, Narcissus Garden has been installed in variations around the world. All installations take place on the water where the original Narcissus fell in love with his own reflection and eventually drowned.

Kusama, born in 1929, was one of the early influencers in the pop art, minimalist and feminist art movements. She inspired important artists such as Andy Warhol and Claes Oldenburg. She became an important voice of the avant-garde movement.

Major retrospectives of Kusama’s work have been held at the Museum of Modern Art, the Whitney Museum, and Tate Modern. Artsy named her one of the Top 10 Living Artists.

Narcissus Garden is on view at The Glass House from now until November 30, 2016

Read more about Kusama in BN Daily Fix post: The Soul of Infinite Dots Now.

Read more about Beautiful Spheres in A Universe of Beautiful Spheres, Our Galaxies Are Blowing Giant Bubbles Now and Beach Plums & Rose Hips: Beautiful Wild Fruit Spheres to Love Now.

And check out more beautiful things happening now in BN Arts/Design, Nature/Science, Food/Drink, Place/Time, Mind/Body, and Soul/Impact Daily Fix posts.

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IMAGE CREDITS:

1. Image: Courtesy of The Glass House. “Narcissus Garden,” by Yayoi Kusama.
2. Image: Courtesy of The Glass House. “Narcissus Garden,” by Yayoi Kusama.
3. Image: Courtesy of The Glass House. “Narcissus Garden,” by Yayoi Kusama.
4. Image: Courtesy of The Glass House. “Narcissus Garden,” by Yayoi Kusama.
5. Image: Courtesy of The Glass House. “Narcissus Garden,” by Yayoi Kusama.
6. Image: Courtesy of Yayoi Kusama Studio. Yayoi Kusama & “Narcissus Garden” at the 33rd Venice Biennale.
7. Image: by mishmoshimoshi. Yayoi Kusama & “Narcissus Garden” at Inhotim. Brumadinho, Brazil.
8. Image: Courtesy of Yayoi Kusama Studio. Yayoi Kusama & “Narcissus Garden” at the 33rd Venice Biennale.
9. Image: Courtesy of The Glass House. “Narcissus Garden,” by Yayoi Kusama.
10. Image: Courtesy of The Glass House. “Narcissus Garden,” by Yayoi Kusama.
11. Image: Courtesy of The Glass House. “Narcissus Garden,” by Yayoi Kusama.
12. Image: by BN App - Download now!
13. Image: Courtesy of The Glass House. “Narcissus Garden,” by Yayoi Kusama.