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| Born in Osaka in 1951, Yasumasa Morimura
graduated from Kyoto City University of Art in 1978. Morimura has
become one of the most renowned Japanese contemporary artists. He
first gained international recognition for his “Art History”
series in which he replicates famed Western art historical works and
inserts his own face and figure into the role of the main subject
in the work and photographs himself in these roles. He does consider
himself a photographer, but considers his work closer to performance
art. Morimura has exhibited extensively both in Japan and internationally. Japanese photographer Yasumasa Morimura is known for his self-portraits in which he appears as Hollywood movie stars and figures from famous paintings. He photographs images of himself in makeup and costume, posing with props and against painted backdrops. In the series "An Inner Dialogue with Frida Kahlo", Morimura carefully recreates Kahlo's famous self-portraits, complete with the Mexican painter's dramatic black hair, deep red lipstick, and legendary unibrow. This project has taken Morimura ten years to complete. By imitating Kahlo’s paintings, Morimura is highlighting the power and importance of her artwork.  (For Grades 3-5) Do you think this is this a portrait of the artist? Have you ever created a self-portrait? If so, what did it reveal about you? Is this a painting or a photograph? Does this artwork look like the style of another famous artist? What artist is this artist imitating in this portrait? Why do you think the artist likes to photograph himself using the background from other famous artworks? If you could ask the artist, what would you ask him and why? (For Grades 6-8) Describe the use of balance, contrast, and movement in this portrait. Why do you think the artist likes to photograph himself using the background from other famous artworks? What does this tell you about the artist? Do you consider this a work of art? Why or why not? |
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Yasumasa Morimura Japan, born 1951 An Inner Dialogue with Frida Kahlo (Collar of Thorns) Color photograph, edition 8 of 10, 2001 Museum purchase, International and Contemporary Collectors Fund 2002.9 © Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego |
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