Kusama's Polka Dots and Kawara's Dates: Finding American Success Through Differing Uses of Identity, Temporality, and Artistic Expression

Abstract

American art spaces have been established as areas that allow for greater acceptance and recognition for artists thus drawing in artists from multitudes of cultural backgrounds. Due to social unrest and change during the mid-20th century, an influx of non-Western artists brought Japanese artists seeking artistic recognition and greater acceptance into American spaces. To effectively navigate cultural exchange in order to gain greater recognition, Japanese artists must learn to create, establish, and bring their art into Western spaces in manners that encourage American consumption. A process that is difficult and few succeed in, artists such as Yayoi Kusama and On Kawara, two widely successful Japanese artists in America, have learned how to bring about such success by incorporating their identity, temporality, and their own artistic interpretations into their art creation. Such accomplishments have allowed for greater Western recognition, changed how Japanese art is viewed in Western spaces, and solidified their places as revered artists in the United States. Although Western recognition is difficult to accomplish and does not follow a specific set of rules, it is apparent that both artists have navigated the American art world successfully.