Yayoi Kusama
 

I've recently been on a bit of a Yayoi Kusama kick. There's something about her "infinity nets" that make me feel good. Perhaps I'm just a little nutty inside and she effects that part of me...but whatever - I know I like her stuff. It's whimsical and feels like it's full of hope - all this coming from a woman who had herself committed to a mental institution since the 70's.

http://www.kusamadocumentary.com/index-eng.php

here is her film Self-Obliteration from 1967:

pt 1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7h0hExzfS5Q

pt 2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NOd99fqGjto

pt 3
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KGHr-KS5gz4

In the 60's she lived in NYC and set up a number of civil disobedience events involving naked people in public places.

yes, i agree - she is intriguing from what i've seen, which is mainly in-situe stuff involving an abundance of polka dots. i didn't know that she was incarcerated, and knowing that definately adds a sinister level to her stuff. i know that she frequently has visual hallucinations which involve those polka dots so perhaps it was these hallucinations that made her go to a mental hospital. strange, anyway.