Japanese Cosmic Show Meets American Garden

The large, brightly colored circles and pumpkins² at the New York Botanical Garden are part of a new show called "Kusama: Cosmic³ Nature." They are the works of Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama.

Tired of staying home during the year-long pandemic, people are quickly buying tickets for the show. It will remain on view through the end of October.

Most of the artworks are outdoors and are big enough to enjoy while remaining socially distanced. Visitors will want to wear good walking shoes because the show spreads over the 100-hectare garden in New York City.

The garden fits well with Kusama's complex works which are all related to nature. Kusama grew up in the greenhouses and fields of her family's large seed company in Matsumoto, Japan.

When Kusama was young, she began seeing colorful images that seemed real to her. In some of them, flowers and pumpkins talked to her. They also involved polka dots or flowers spreading around her.

Mika Yoshitake is the curator, the person who selects and sets up artworks for the show. "For Kusama, cosmic nature is a life force," Yoshitake said. She explains that Kusama's work brings together things on the Earth and in the stars.

Karen Daubmann oversees⁴ shows at the garden. Beyond the polka dots, she said Kusama's work combines sadness and joy, "which really speaks to the current moment."

Works appearing at the Kusama show include the nearly 5 meter-high painted bronze "Dancing Pumpkin¹" (2020). It appears to jump around happily.

"I Want to Fly the Universe" (2020) is a brightly colored 4 meter-high flower with a face to greet visitors at arrival. "Infinity⁵ Mirrored Room - Illusion⁶ Inside the Heart" (2020) is an outdoor piece that mirrors its surroundings.

Inside the Conservatory⁷, or the greenhouse, there is the polka-dotted flowers "My Soul Blooms Forever" (2019) greeting visitors in one room. Nearby, the pink and gold "Starry⁸ Pumpkin" (2015) sits among real woodland flowers and leaves in different colors.

In a body of water, visitors can see "Narcissus Garden" (1966/2021) with 1,400 floating steel balls. In 1966, at the Venice Biennale, Kusama got into trouble for trying to sell the balls for $2 each.

And tall trees are wrapped in bright red cloth with white polka dots called "Ascension of the Polka Dots on the Trees" (2002/2021).

Visitors can also view a book of drawings she made in 1945, at age 16. It is full of careful, realistic drawings of plants. Also on view is her "Infinity Net" painting, which she made after seeing the Pacific Ocean from an airplane.

A small collection of images shows Kusama's life in New York, where she lived from around 1958 to 1973. She was known for doing performance art pieces and leading protests against the Vietnam War.

Kusama, 92, has lived voluntarily in a Japanese mental hospital for over 40 years. Six days a week, she works in a studio next to the hospital. She has not traveled to the United States since 2012.

Words in This Story

cosmic – adj. of or relating to the universe or outer space

garden – n. an area of ground where plants (such as flowers or vegetables) are grown

greenhouse – n. a building or part of a building that has glass walls and a glass roof and that is used for growing plants

joy – n. a feeling of great happiness

drawing – n. a picture, image, etc., that is made by making lines on a surface with a pencil, pen, marker, chalk, etc., but usually not with paint

bronze - adj. a metal that is made by combining copper⁹ and tin

mirror – v. to what another thing is like in a very clear and accurate way

wrap – v. to cover (something) by winding or folding a piece of cloth or other material around it

1 pumpkin   

n.南瓜

参考例句：

• They ate turkey and pumpkin pie.他们吃了火鸡和南瓜馅饼。
• It looks like there is a person looking out of the pumpkin!看起来就像南瓜里有人在看着你！

2 pumpkins   

n.南瓜( pumpkin的名词复数 )；南瓜的果肉，南瓜囊

参考例句：

• I like white gourds, but not pumpkins. 我喜欢吃冬瓜，但不喜欢吃南瓜。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Then they cut faces in the pumpkins and put lights inside. 然后在南瓜上刻出一张脸，并把瓜挖空。 来自英语晨读30分（高三）

3 cosmic   

adj.宇宙的，广大无边的

参考例句：

• That is a cosmic law that must be respected.这是宇宙的法则必须遵守。
• This has all the appearance of a cosmic free lunch.这就产生了广泛的免费午餐。

4 oversees   

v.监督，监视( oversee的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• She oversees both the research and the manufacturing departments. 她既监督研究部门又监督生产部门。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The Department of Education oversees the federal programs dealing with education. 教育部监管处理教育的联邦程序。 来自互联网

5 infinity   

n.无限，无穷，大量

参考例句：

• It is impossible to count up to infinity.不可能数到无穷大。
• Theoretically,a line can extend into infinity.从理论上来说直线可以无限地延伸。

6 illusion   

n.幻想，错误的观念，错觉，幻觉，假象

参考例句：

• The sun appears to go round the Earth,but it's an illusion.太阳看起来好像绕着地球转，但这只是个错觉。
• They were under the illusion that the company was doing well.他们误以为该公司生意很好。

7 conservatory   

n.温室，音乐学院；adj.保存性的，有保存力的

参考例句：

• At the conservatory,he learned how to score a musical composition.在音乐学校里，他学会了怎样谱曲。
• The modern conservatory is not an environment for nurturing plants.这个现代化温室的环境不适合培育植物。

8 starry   

adj.星光照耀的, 闪亮的

参考例句：

• He looked at the starry heavens.他瞧着布满星星的天空。
• I like the starry winter sky.我喜欢这满天星斗的冬夜。

9 copper   

n.铜；铜币；铜器；adj.铜(制)的；(紫)铜色的

参考例句：

• The students are asked to prove the purity of copper.要求学生们检验铜的纯度。
• Copper is a good medium for the conduction of heat and electricity.铜是热和电的良导体。