Stepping on the Tail of a Rainbow

To me, religions are a narrative…Natural catastrophes, earthquakes, are things caused by nature. Such chaos is natural, but we have to make sense of it somehow, and so we had to invent these stories. That is what I wanted to paint.

—Takashi Murakami

Looking for a momentary escape from it all? Head straight toward 555 West 24th Street, NYC to the Gagosian Gallery and treat yourself to the incredibly imaginiative and psychedlic world of artist Takashi Murakami’s In the Land of the Dead, Stepping on the Tail of a Rainbow.

Walking in past the welcome desk, I was instantly wowed by the remarkable size of the exhibition. Immediately, three of my most favorite things were found: flowers, bright colors and skulls, all of which are key characteristics of Murakami’s infamous works. You also may recall the artist’s name and his style from several collaborations with Marc Jacobs for Louis Vuitton starting in 2002.

(I’m rocking a vintage Enzo Angiolini reversible trench coat, shaggy sweater vest from LF Store, Gap skinny corduroys, Dolce Vita booties with snakeskin heels, an All Saints silk & leather handbag, vintage mink hat)

Utilizing key religious symbols of Japanese culture, depicted in a rather forboding and grotesque, yet inviting, fashion, Murakami portrays the battle between faith and the uncontrollable elements.

Also depicted is the innate and inescapable human condition to engage in war. No matter how much we try to avoid it, we cannot escape it. Has it always been survival of the fittest? Must there always be a struggle, a fight, or a war?

Our entire existence has been plagued by these neverending battles. We look to religion to explain this as well and keep us motivated during the most difficult of times, yet this in and of itself is the root cause of so much war. Nature may be unpredictable, but we humans are uncontrollable.

Make sure you don’t miss this stunning exhibition, which I certainly will be visiting several more times! It’s running until January 17th and is free admission to enjoy.