The Age of "Business Art"

The article I chose was off of slate.com, titled The New Emperor of No-Brow: Is Takashi Murakami Japan's Andy Warhol—or its Walt Disney? The article talks about how Murakmi’s art is crossing over from commenting on consumer culture, to creating it. A collection of Murakmi’s art was on display at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles, which included a functional Louis Vuitton boutique right in the middle of the gallery. Murakami first started working with Louis Vuitton when he was asked to redesign Vuitton’s signature LV logo. Along with designing the logo for Vuitton merchandise, he created a series of paintings including the LV logo. Murakami has managed to make money, and fame while still living, something artists usually obtain after death. He’s turned him self into a brand. The writer compares Murakami’s art to both Warhol and Disney, as a way of analyzing and critiquing it. His style, and subject matter are similar to something Andy Warhol might have created, but Murakami lacks the irony That Warhol had. And some of the characters he has created in his artwork have similarities to Disney characters like Mickey Mouse. The writer goes into where Murakami studied, his early works, and famous works, giving insight to who the artist is. Clearly this article was written for people interested in current events and trends in art, referencing many different styles, and artists. Overall, Takashi Murakami blends styles and icons from many different times and cultures, with a style like Warhol, characters like Walt Disney, and techniques very true to Japanese art. He’s a good business man and a good artist.