Posi Mushroom 2007

Takashi Murakami made this field of technicolor fungi, Posi Mushroom, using flat colour and bold outlines to describe these hallucinogenic toadstools. It makes me think of the way the process of artmaking can feel like foraging. Look at the sheer variety of mushrooms. Each one is unique in its form, colour, and pattern. Murakami uses a limited palette of bright, saturated colours, and the flat, graphic style gives the work a playful, almost cartoonish feel. The way he layers the colours and patterns creates a sense of depth and texture, despite the flatness of the image. One particular mushroom, near the bottom left, is a deep red with yellow dots, resembling a fried egg. In contrast to the dark background, it's so bright. With this juxtaposition of light and dark, the piece is reminiscent of Yayoi Kusama's infinity net paintings. It’s a world where ambiguity isn't a flaw, but an invitation.