SUPERFLAT
スーパーフラット
SUPERFLAT
SUPERFLAT is a most intriguing concept, defined by Murakami to address multiple facets of both his artwork and more. These include the culture of Japan, as well as the aesthetic appearance, meaning, and formal composition of the artwork.
Culture of Japan
In one sense, Murakami uses superflat to describe the culture of Japan, especially after the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945, with atomic bombs nicknamed the “Little Boy” and the “Fat Man” respectively. These traumatic events, followed by the immediate surrender of Japan, still affect the Japanese population and culture today. The Japanese have become fixated on all things kawaii and youthful, and embrace immaturity, comfort, happiness, and fashion. According to Murakami, this creates a place for “people unable to comprehend the moral coordinates of right and wrong as anything other than a rebus for ‘I feel good.” In essence, the Japanese culture has become an intricate but two-dimensional entity. Appearance of Artwork Another usage of the term superflat is the actual appearance of the imagery created. Murakami likens the aesthetic to when one “merge[s] a number of distinct layers into one” when creating digital artwork. For example, there is a distinct lack of traditional perspective, such as one-point perspective. Forms and shapes overlap each other with little indication that they are on different planes. Additionally, figures are shaded using modeling or monochromatic color schemes, if they are shaded at all. Lastly, shapes often have contour lines to differentiate them from the scenery or background, and other characters. Meaning of Artwork The superflat theory also refers to the meaning and inspiration of Murakami’s work. Murakami, as previously mentioned, is attempting to represent the “exploding” and underappreciated post-war subculture of Japan through psychedelic paintings informed by Japanese low art. Referring to the flat aesthetic of the artwork previously explained, Murakami would like his viewers to “experience the moment when the layers of Japanese culture, such as pop, erotic pop, otaku, and H.I.M.-ism, fuse into one.” His work is also informed by the traditional pre-colonial Japanese culture and art. He believes that only by studying the many forms of authentic art that Japan has produced, can one understand the culture. Composition of Artwork Most interesting is the formal composition associated with traditional Japanese art that Murakami has come to coin superflat. The style actually started during the Edo period, and the artists were not appreciated until after their deaths. These artists, such as Iwasa Matabei and Kano Sansetsu, practiced “expressionistic tendencies” and produced “eccentric and fantastic images.” Their images used a unique planar model of formal composition – or as Murakami states, “a structural methodology…[that] made the observer aware of the images’ extreme planarity.” This was achieved through constructing images along vertical and horizontal lines instead of perspective lines. They also “establish a minimum balance that reaches out toward each of the four corners of the [image plane].” The artist is able to use these lines to direct, and sometimes even freeze, the viewer’s gaze, which is incredibly important to Murakami’s work and theory of superflat. |