I always enjoy art shows that involve the blending of multicultural influences.
LaBasse Projects in Culver City has been the "go to" place for me to enjoy such exhibits. Currently,
LaBasse is exhibiting a solo show of
Yoskay Yamamoto's work, entitled "
Picking Up Where We left Off." Blending themes and images from both traditional Japanese art and contemporary Los Angeles pop culture, Yamamoto creates a rich "dream space" that makes the mundane take on otherworldly qualities.
The textured quality of the paintings create a strong sense of space in which the mental or spiritual states of the subject manifests as perceptible force, form or color. Be it the wind in ripping though the hair or a haze of snow, the psychological state dominates the space in which the subject figure resides. It's a very powerful presentation.
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| Snow by Yoskay Yamamoto |
And there is a refreshing sense of humor, a lightness of mood, that pervades Yamamoto's work. I especially enjoyed the image above. The title and white hair bring to my mind the legendary
Yuki-onna. It's delightfully ironic that she seems entranced by music. ;-)
