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Why’d They Put That In A Museum?
Show Notes

dark blue room with small white lights

Artist: Yayoi Kusama (b. 1929)

Item: Infinity Mirrored Room–The Souls of Millions of Light Years Away, 2013

Details: Wood, metal, glass mirrors, plastic, acrylic panel, rubber, LED lighting system, acrylic balls, and water, 113 ¼ x 163 ½ x 163 ½ in. (Broad Los Angeles)

Infinity Mirrored Room behind Yayoi Kusama

Yayoi Kusama, Infinity Mirror Room (Pt. 1)

Yayoi Kusama is known as one of the most well-known living artists… that is, today she is well known. This is the first part of a 2-part episode that focuses on Kusama;s Infinity Mirror Rooms, particularly ‘Infinity Mirror Room—The Souls of Millions of Light Years Away’ located at The Broad Museum in Los Angeles.  Today Kusama’s vibrant and playful interactive works seem to be “everywhere” from major museums to public spaces, to the internet feeds of trendy influencers. But did you know that Kusama toiled in obscurity for decades before being acknowledged by the art world and adored by millions? In this episode of “Why’d They Put That in a Museum?,” hosts Beth Bacon and Sarah Lees discuss Kusama’s long artistic journey and the many ways the art world dismissed her during her younger years. In the 1950’s and 1960’s Kusama was an under-appreciated, activist, counter-culture artist. Before that, she was an imaginative youth who had visual hallucinations. Stay tuned for the next episode to learn how Kusama went from an unknown to an artist to a worldwide phenomenon.

Kusama room orange and yellow lights to infinity

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About the Podcasters

Sarah Lees, Art curator and researcher

Sarah Lees

Sarah is a museum curator and researcher who has worked in organizations both large and small, and who remembers her first assignment for an art history class – to look into Rembrandt’s eyes and describe what she saw there. She believes everyone can find those kinds of connections to some form of creative expression, whether it’s a painting, a grandmother’s quilt, or a perfectly formed pen-stroke in a manuscript.

Beth Bacon

Beth Bacon

In addition to being an avid museum-goer, Beth Bacon is an author for young readers. Her books empower today’s kids to learn about themselves and the world through reading. She is also a teacher and branding consultant and a volunteer at the Missouri History Museum. Beth holds an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts, an MA in Communication Arts from NYU, and a BA in Literature from Harvard University.  

Music Credit

The music you hear in the intro and outro was composed by Edward Whelan. We appreciate his contribution to our podcast.

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