NEW PEOPLE & SUPERFROG GALLERY ANNOUNCE NEW MULTI-MEDIA ART SHOW BY YU-CHENG CHOU

POP ART FOR THE DIGITAL GENERATION OPENS AT SUPERFROG GALLERY IN A NEW EXHIBIT BY YU-CHENG CHOU

Taiwanese Multimedia Artist Opens New Show At Bay Area’s Hottest Pop Culture Art Gallery

San Francisco, CA, June 2, 2010 – NEW PEOPLE‘s SUPERFROG Gallery is proud to announce Taiwanese artist Yu-Cheng Chou’s newest exhibition, Because 64 Crayons Made in the USA, opening on June 26th and running until August 1st, and curated by Cydney M. Payton.

Chou will attend a special opening party on Saturday, June 26th at 7:00pm at the Gallery, on the 3rd floor of the NEW PEOPLE building located at 1746 Post St. in the heart of San Francisco’s Japantown. The public is invited to meet the artist and celebrate the show’s launch.

Yu-Cheng Chou’s work displays a masterful use of photographic sensibilities combined with artistic inspiration to take on weighty subjects like the globalization of cultures, the creative vocabulary of new media, and the continued assimilation of pop culture. Presented in a variety of visual mediums including photography and video, the subjects of Chou’s works are often estranged from their original identity or purpose to reflect a larger purpose of how contemporary ideas can entwine or even change the viewer’s perception of historical realities.

Chou is noted for displacing objects to make them hyper-accentuated, often photographing and then digitizing his subjects into potent isolation. For the show’s namesake, Because 64 Crayons Made in the USA, he reassigns the status of a beloved box of rainbow colored crayons from plaything to display-thing.

“Chou’s artistic practice is located in the nomadic pursuits of the Digital Generation and working with new media, digital photography and video, he creates a world of grand illusion,” says the exhibit’s curator, Cydney M. Payton. “We invite the Bay Area to explore this intriguing new exhibit.”

“This latest SUPERFROG exhibit is a great example of the kinds of multi-cultural artistic collaborations that NEW PEOPLE is committed to developing,” says Seiji Horibuchi, the founder of NEW PEOPLE. “Yu-Cheng Chou’s art has a resounding world view that evokes the very essence of pop culture in its presentation and we’re honored to present the work of this talented artist in this new show.”

Born in Taiwan in 1976, Yu-Cheng Chou currently lives and works in Taipei. Chou holds a B.A. from the National Taiwan University, Taipei and an M.A. from the Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts, Paris, France. In 2005, he received the Taipei Award for Excellence. This is Chou’s first exhibition at SUPRFROG, and in San Francisco. His inaugural U.S. exhibition was at the Museum of Contemporary Art Denver in 2008. He has exhibited internationally including Open Art Contemporary Art Center, Taipei, Taiwan; Galerie ColletPark, Paris, France; and Bruselles Expositions, Belgium.

For more information on the Yu-Cheng Chou exhibit or the SUPERFROG Gallery, please visit: www.superfrogglallery.com.

About the Curator
Cydney M. Payton is the former CEO and Chief Curator of MCA Denver. In recent years, she was the curator for Over One Billion Served, the first U.S. exhibition of Chinese photography featuring Zhoa Bandi, Zhang Dali, and Wang Qingsong. She also curated exhibitions of David Altmejd, Larry Bell, Lynda Benglis, Candice Breitz, Yang Fudong, Damien Hirst, Chris Ofili, Rex Ray, and Collier Schorr. Group exhibitions have included work by J-Pop masters, Yoshitomo Nara and Takashi Murakami. Her new book, The Legend of Bud Shark and his Indelible Ink was released in December 2009 and features Bay Area artists Don Ed Hardy, Enrique Chagoya, and Hung Liu.

About SUPERFROG Gallery
The SUPERFROG Gallery is a spacious exhibit space located on the 3rd floor of NEW PEOPLE. With a name inspired by a short story written by Haruki Murakami called “Super-Frog Saves Tokyo,” SUPERFROG provides a direct link to emerging artists that draw their inspiration from Japanese popular culture.  More info at: www.SUPERFROGGallery.com

About NEW PEOPLE
NEW PEOPLE offers the latest films, art, fashion and retail brands from Japan and is the creative vision of the J-Pop Center Project and VIZ Pictures, a distributor and producer of Japanese live action film. Located at 1746 Post St. in the heart of San Francisco’s Japantown, the 20,000 square foot structure features a striking 3-floor transparent glass façade that frames a fun and exotic new environment to engage the imagination into the 21st Century. A dedicated web site is also now available at: www.NewPeopleWorld.com.

[APR] Student Spotlights: Artists at Fresno State

Thanks to the diverse nature of students represented here at Fresno State, we are blessed to be amid many talented artists of different genres and backgrounds.   Through a cultural complexity found within the Art Department, we can find inspirational work from contrasting compositions to more parallel contextual arrangements.  Let us take a moment to traverse behind the artistically adept mind, whose well-being strives upon creativity.

Meiru Huang is a Fresno State graduate student from China.  Creating art since the 3^rd grade through traditional ink painting on rice paper, class officials noticed Huang’s artistic talents at a very young age.  Therefore, she feels very fortunate to have artistic guidance throughout her early academic years.   Upon studying art in the United States, she notices many differences between Western art and traditional Chinese art.  “Western art seems to be more rational because of the focuses on perspective and anatomy.  Chinese art is more about atmosphere and engaging with the audience”.  Traditional Chinese art leans towards these ideas, which can be seen through abstract landscaping and calligraphy.

Huang recently exhibited a show on “Objects of the Mundane”.  She explains that art is a wonderful way to represent one’s own culture, and that one way of communicating that culture is through food.  As Huang arrived in the United States, she noticed a big difference between the Chinese food here and the food in China.  “Food in China is very delicate and presented in an artistic way”.  She would like to show the more authentic side of Chinese culture.  Huang also feels that society is being overwhelmed by a faster, technological way of life.  “Technology is supposed to connect people (through e-mail, cell phones, etc.).  Yet as technology advances, I feel that there is a growing distance between individuals.” Huang hopes that art can allow people to appreciate the mundane things that we may ignore despite our busy lifetimes.

Mai See Lee is a senior in the Fresno State Art Department.  She was born in Thailand but has lived in Fresno most of her life.  Being introduced to art during middle school, it seemed to be an exciting option to study other than a basic typing class.    Lee’s favorite medium in creating art is through graphite.  “No matter what medium I am currently working with, I know that it always starts with a simple sketch.  Graphite allows the texture, shadow, perspective and blending… everything which can be easily adjusted as the image in my mind develops”, explains Lee.

Lee’s favorite work of art was created during her Advanced Drawing class.  This work challenged her to think conceptually, which can be difficult for many artists.  She mentions, “A block which frustrates me over an assignment eventually wore off, and I was shocked to have ended up with a piece that I am proud to have created.”  Through her artwork, Lee feels that if she can engage the viewer in a piece, regardless of whether or not they find the subject matter interesting or confusing, is considered it an accomplishment.  Lee chooses not describe explanations behind certain works with hopes to invoke personal interpretations of each individual viewer.

Arun Naina is a senior at Fresno State.  Although he was born in San Antonio, Texas, he has lived in California for the majority of his life.  His parents are from Kerala, a state in the southern region of India.  Naina remembers being very young and being fascinated by cartoons, games, illustrations, etc.  “The colors, the expressions, the animations were all very surreal to me and I had to have them in a sense”, he explains.   Naina feels that art is that line between imagination and reality.  Objects and and ideas that are drawn or created are not ‘real’ in a sense, because they are only mere representations which evoke real emotions and reactions.  As an Impressionist, Naina loves and is most comfortable creating works between realism and abstraction.

Naina hopes to inspire people by creating content, which can identify with the viewer.  Through his art, he would like to help redefine what “art education” means.  He explains, “Art is, in reality, the developmental process of perception. The best artists are usually stereotyped with having special ‘talent’ and what not, but in actuality their skills are due to a highly developed sense of perception”.  Naina states that, “Perception is the greatest life skill to have, and I believe a good art education is the way to successfully develop that.  But to do that, we have to redefine it all first!”

BE MY VALENTINE WITH JAPANESE POP ART AT THE NEW PEOPLE ARTIST VILLAGE in San Francisco

All-Day Event On February 13th Celebrates With A Valentines Themed Art Emporium And Grand Opening Of New Exhibit At SUPERFROG Gallery

San Francisco, CA, February 4, 2010 – NEW PEOPLE partners again with BAZAAR BIZARRE SF to present the NEW PEOPLE ARTIST VILLAGE Vol. 2, a brand new Japanese pop art extravaganza to celebrate the debut of the NEW PEOPLE COLLECTION at the SUPERFROG Gallery.

The NEW PEOPLE ARTIST VILLAGE Vol. 2 kicks off on Saturday, February 13th with a Valentines-themed art emporium taking place from 12:00 noon to 8:00pm. The one-day-only event will feature eleven vendors stationed in kiosks throughout the building offering works from an eclectic mix of Asian and Western artists influenced by Japanese pop culture. The NEW PEOPLE COLLECTION opens the same day in the SUPERFROG Gallery and runs through Sunday, March 21st. Plan a fun and visually enticing trip to NEW PEOPLE and find the perfect gift for your significant other. The event is free to attend; additional information is available at http://www.superfroggallery.com .

Nine dynamic artists featured in one room. The NEW PEOPLE COLLECTION in the SUPERFROG Gallery brings together a vivid mix of pop art visionaries. Enjoy new works from edgy Japanese film director Katsuhito Ishii, Sidney Pink, one of Japan’s most inspirational gaijin (foreign) artists, as well as inspired pieces from Junko Mizuno, Kim Songhe, Mikito Ozeki and Yoshitaka Amano. A special opening party will be held on Saturday, February 13th from 5:00pm – 8:00pm. To attend, please sign up for an e-mail newsletter at www.newpeopleworld.com .

Visitors are also invited to explore the TOKYO CREATORS GARDEN, a serene and sunny new boutique on NEW PEOPLE’s 2nd floor that is inspired by the work of artists and craftsmen from Japan. Visitors may browse the many pieces on display or just relax in the colorful environment.

Artists Featured In The NEW PEOPLE COLLECTION Include:

Katsuhito Ishii
Known for his creative vision as a director of feature films, television commercials, and animation, Katsuhito Ishii is here to reveal an imaginative art project that has been secretly developing for the last few years. Ishii formed an art team called “49S” with several designers and sculptors he admired. For a year-and-a-half, Ishii worked away from his film director realm and opened his first art exhibition in France in 2009. For the NEW PEOPLE COLLECTION at the SUPERFROG Gallery, Ishii has selected a special series called FACES, which are illustrations that symbolize “the revival of pop culture.”

Sidney Pink
Sidney Pink is an American artist that creates small pencil and watercolor drawings. Pink also lived and worked in Japan for four years where he found tremendous inspiration for his art. Pink has exhibited in New York, Baltimore, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Berlin, and Tokyo and was nominated for a Jury Prize at Takashi Murakami’s art festival, “GEISAI Museum 2.” Japanzine magazine described Pink as, “one of Japan’s most inspirational gaijin [foreign] artists.”

Junko Mizuno
Junko Mizuno currently resides in San Francisco and enjoys a huge following in the U.S. and is acclaimed for her provocative and strong feminine imagery. She has published numerous manga comics and brings to this exhibition her 3D wall pieces, another expression of her original style.

Kim Songhe
Kim Songhe, a Korean national born in Tokyo, is known for sculptures made of natural materials and reusable wastes. Currently, she designs shop window displays as well as creating original made-to-order chandeliers. She says that she creates to bring new life to objects that are almost dying.

Mikito Ozeki
Mikito Ozeki describes his work as ‘an ambiguous something with no answer’. The BODY series is commonly depicted as “figures like robots”. By presenting the ambiguous ‘something’ with the distinct clear lines and forms of a paper cutout, Ozeki simulates the wavering of human values.

NORITAKE
Noritake uses simple lines and numerous motifs that have nothing in common. He picks out and draws a portion of an image he finds in his own photos, old magazines, and picture books, as well as adding in new elements. Viewers may make their own discovery while glancing at his images.

YOSHITAKA AMANO
Best known for his character designs for Final Fantasy, Yoshitaka Amano brings his newest works to SUPERFROG. His breathtaking and vibrant pieces are boldly coated with auto paint and metallic glitter, an ode to his childhood love for American comics and automobiles.

KAZMO aka Tomomi Kazumoto
Kazmo, screen printer extraordinaire, entertains your eyes with kitschy playfulness and dark nostalgia. She reminds us of our childhood when the world was a blank coloring book ready to be doodled on. Part of the NEW PEOPLE ART Detour, Kazmo is back with a new line of expressive prints.

Yuichi Yokoyama
Yuichi Yokoyama delivers his art in the form of comic illustrations often consisting of nameless characters in transit or in action. With a global following that grew from his manga publications, this is a rare chance to encounter his work on display here in the U.S.

About Bazaar Bizarre San Francisco
Bazaar Bizarre began in 2001 in Boston as an offbeat entertainment extravaganza to showcase the DIY movement and handmade goods. Bazaar Bizarre has spread across the nation to places such as Los Angeles, Cleveland, Maker Faire Bay Area and Austin. Bazaar Bizarre San Francisco is a handmade market, indie entertainment extravaganza and D.I.Y. festival all under one roof. We have quality handmade arts and crafts for sale, DIY workshops and entertainment. More information at: http://www.bazaarbizarre.org/sanfrancisco

New People Artist Series 002: Yayoi Kusama – I Love Me (a J!-ENT DVD Review)

A wonderful look at the everday life of Yayoi Kusama from 2008 and showing us that even at 80, she shows no signs of stopping and that she can still produce incredible artwork daily.  Another wonderful DVD in the New People Artist Series and a magnificent documentary of the world’s most popular and well-known avant-garde artist.

Images courtesy of © 2008 B.B.B. INC., YAYOI KUSAMA. All Rights Reserved.

TITLE: New People Artist Series 002: Yayoi Kusama – I Love Me

DURATION: 102 Minutes

DVD INFORMATION: 4:3, Color, Dolby Digital

RATED: NOT RATED

COMPANY: Viz Pictures

RELEASE DATE: September 15, 2009

Directed by Takao Matsumoto

Executive Producer: Kanji Enomoto

Produced by Seiji Itaki, Takashi Shimizu

Music by KURI-CORDER QUARTET

Stll Pictures by Yoko Kawasaki

Editor: Yasuyuki Fujii

Director of Photography: Hiroko Baba

Starring

Yayoi Kusama

Artist Yayoi Kusama is an avant-garde sculptor, painter, and novelist and her visual style is often characterized by a liberal use of polka dots and nets to achieve a so-called “infinity effect.” The film documents Kusama’s creative process over the course of a year-and-a-half as she completes a series of 50 large monochrome drawings. As her work comes to life, one witnesses the essence of her artistic voice as builds on themes about the conflicts between life, death, and love – sometimes quietly and sometimes not. Her self-confidence and dignified spirit is evident throughout the insightful film.

Yayoi Kusama has been widely acclaimed by the international art world for more than 50 years. In 2006, she received the Japanese National Lifetime Achievement Award, one of Japan’s most prestigious prizes for internationally recognized artists. In November 2008, her No.2 (created in 1959) was auctioned by Christie’s New York for over $5.7 million, the second highest price ever paid for a work by a living female artist. Her work has been exhibited with the likes of Andy Warhol and Jasper Johns and also shown at preeminent venues like the Museum of Modern Art in New York City and the National Gallery of Art in Washington D.C.

With Viz Pictures  and their recently built “NEW PEOPLE” building showcasing Japanese pop culture especially Japanese artwork, their “New People Artist Series” has been one of the highlight releases from the company as art fans can now catch a personal glimpse of Japan’s popular (and very private) artists.  The first release “New People Artist Series 001: Traveling with Yoshitomo Nara” was just an enjoyable documentary of a man who is not very public, seeing his artwork come to fruition for an ambitious project and seeing him actually painting his artwork was truly amazing.

Here we are with the second volume of the New People Artist Series and this time we have Yayoi Kusama and this release is not just extraordinary, for fans of Japanese art, this is probably the only chance we can see the artist so up-close and personal.

Yayoi Kusama is an avant-garde artist known for her polka dots, her trademark and it’s been a big part of her work since the 1950′s and now in her 80′s, she still continues her artwork with no signs of stopping. The polka dots are “infinity nets” which describe her hallucinations that come from her life in which she was abused by her mother (who despised her getting into artwork but mostly because her father was a philanderer and her mother expected her to keep tabs on her father’s infidelity).  She’s also an artist that has suffered from major depression and has attempted suicide several times and has said numerous times that all she has had in her life is her artwork (note: Kusama chooses to live at a mental hospital near her place of work and she has staff watching over her as well).

But if there is one thing that Kusama is known for is her dedication and passion for her artwork.   Kusama is probably better known to art fans internationally as she was a leader in the avant-garde movement, as an organizer of controversial events in Central Park and the Brooklyn Bridge to protest the Vietnam War.  Her artwork was rejected back then Japan and she moved to New York where she collaborated with her friends Andy Warhol, Georgia O’Keefe, Joseph Cornell, Donald Judd and many more.

There is so much demand for her work to be featured at galleries around the world and on Nov. 2008, her artwork sold for over $5 million at Christies New York, a record for a living female artist.

With “New People Artist Series 002: Yayoi Kusama – I Love Me”, where Kusama has been featured in various art films covering her life, this latest DVD is a project by Director Takako Matsumoto.  Matsumoto met Yayoi at a television program that she directed and then worked with her for a special titled “Kusama Yayoi , Fantastic Voyage into Darkness Within”.  But with this latest project, Matsumoto wanted to show in the documentary Yayoi at work and depicting her everyday life but to reveal as many layers of the artist as much as possible.  The question was, could Matsumoto even get that close to cover those layers of this well-known artist.

The documentary showcases Kusama working on 50 pieces of her artwork, we see sculptures of her polka dots, we see her attending various events including a TV show hosted by Takeshi Kitano (who she has never watched before). But we also see how her staff tends to her, we see how in her 80′s, she feels that she still has enough life in her to create her artwork and feels that she is not done yet.  As she was when she was a child making dozens to hundreds of artwork per day, we see Kusama still creating many artwork but also featuring her poetry but most of all seeing a side of her, from her confidence of being one of the best artists out there but also talking about her recent suicide attempts.

Matsumoto does say that this film is just a small part of Yayoi Kusama and that is true.  There is so much to this artist and what she has accomplished that Matsumoto just focused on not so much about the past but the moment she had with Kusama during that period in time.

VIDEO & AUDIO:

“”New People Artist Series 002: Yayoi Kusama – I Love Me” is a documentary featured in 4:3 Anamorphic Widescreen.  For a documentary, picture quality is a clear and colorful look into the artist’s world as it is shot in digital.  Audio is in Dolby Digital and dialogue is heard clearly and English subtitles are easy to read.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

“New People Artist Series 002: Yayoi Kusama – I Love Me” comes with no special features but trailers for upcoming New People Artist Series and a four-page insert is included.  Inside is a two-page writeup from director Takako Matsumoto of what she wanted to accomplish and what happened after she shown the documentary to Yayoi Kusama.

For fans of Yayoi Kusama’s work, this is another video that is worth owning.  Granted, there are several films of Kusama at various times of her life (especially during the late 60′s and early 70′s) which are magnificent.  But this video, captures Yayoi Kusama ala 2008 in her 80′s.

As many artists are, there is only so much you can capture them on camera without trying to annoy them and in “New People Artist Series 002: Yayoi Kusama – I Love Me”, we see Yayoi in her various forms.  From her confidence of her talking about how she is the best, looking through magazines and saying that her artwork was the best in the publication and her meeting with people from various countries wanting to do business with her and seeing her communicate in English and then seeing her just wanting to create artwork.  In fact, we see her create several pieces of art that are part of her 50 that are shown at the end of the documentary.

But the documentary accomplishes what director Takako Matsumoto wanted, was to peel off those layers and try to get to the core of Yayoi Kusama.  We see a woman who is very eloquent in her words but the words, may they be about her after she has passed to what she wants her work to be seen as and what she wanted to accomplish.  We see her wishing that she was much younger and the look in her eyes as Matsumoto tells her how it’s great for an artist to create art in her older age and this stare she gives back and telling her that she’s doesn’t see herself as “old”.  In fact, there are times we see Kusama getting annoyed at the director and telling her that she’s getting in the way of her focus on her artwork and to leave.

But we also see the side of Kusama that many have read about…the depressed side.  And Kusama has no problems telling her story about her father, her mother and the disdain her mother had towards her artwork and even talking about her suicide attempts at a young age to her most recent attempt.  There is not so much focus on the darker side in this documentary but Kusama does bring it up.  If anything, all she needs to communicate or viewers understand is through her artwork and poetry.

Overall, this is another wonderful DVD in the New People Artist Series.  Although, I wished the documentary would have shown part of her creative past, I can understand that director Matsumoto just wanted to focus on the now.  To cover Kusama’s past would be too difficult.  So, Matsumo’s goal of depicting Kusama’s everyday life was quite interesting.  I’ve seen videos of her from her younger years and as she has progressed from the 60′s through 90′s but this is a side of Kusama that I have never seen before.  In some way, seeing her with so much vitality at 80 continuing to produce new art every day but then seeing that frail side of her as she has difficulty walking and her staff has to rub her back while walking because she has back pain.  Many artist have refused to let viewers see them at their oldest of age and just remember them when they are younger but even at 80, Kusama still feels she still has many years left in her and as evident through this documentary, she can still produce incredible work daily.

A wonderful documentary and another awesome release in the New People Artist Series.  Highly recommended!

New People Artist Series 001: Traveling with Yoshitomo Nara (a J!-ENT DVD Review)

“For those who appreciate the art of Yoshitomo Nara, ‘Traveling with Yoshitomo Nara’ features a rare behind-the-scenes look at the life of Nara as a man, as an artist, a creator and also seeing how many people have come to love his work.  A wonderfully hip and cool documentary featuring the not-so-public, world acclaimed artist Yoshitomo Nara and the creation of  his unique gallery AtoZ.”

Images courtesy of © 2007 Tohokushinsha Film Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

TITLE: New People Artist Series 001: Traveling with Yoshitomo Nara

DURATION: 93 Minutes

DVD INFORMATION: 16×9 Anamorphic Widescreen, Color,

RATED: NOT RATED

COMPANY: Viz Pictures

RELEASE DATE: September 15, 2009

Directed by Koji Sakabe

Produced by Ryuichi Tokuama

Executive Producer: Kiyotaka Ninomiya

Director of Photography: Koji Sakabe, Mitsuru Komimiya, Hideo Saksaki

Music by Jeiichi Ito, Eiji Ida

Animation by Studio 4°C

Starring

Yoshitomo Nara

traf

Narrator: Aoi Miyazaki

Traveling with Yoshitomo Nara is the first documentary featuring world-renowned Japanese modern artist Yoshitomo Nara.  The film follows the artist’s life journey, from London to Bangkok, as he travels for his exhibitions and workshops.  His latest attempt at creating a “collaboration” leads to a surprising outcome for both his artwork and himself.

Yoshitomo Nara, the well-known, world acclaimed artist whose work has been featured in Asia, Europe, the US and has literally captured the attention of art lovers through his paintings and his unique exhibits.

In 2001, his exhibit “I Don’t Mind If You Forget Me” was featured at the Yokohama Museum of Art and traveled across Japan.  In 2004, “From the Depth of My Drawer” was featured at the Hara Museum of Contemporary Art and traveled nationally and in Korea.  In 2003, his exhibit “Nothing Ever Happens” was featured at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Cleveland, Ohio and would be featured across the country.

But if there is one thing that is known about Yoshitomo Nara, he is a very private man.  Although almost regarded like a rockstar because of his famous artwork, he’s a very quiet and reserved man who has remained quite mysterious to the outside world.

That was until 2005 when Director Koji Sakabe received word that Nara was working on a spectacular project known as “AtoZ”.  Having followed Tomio Koyama for a TV documentary, knowing that Koyama is a curator of Nara’s art, Sakabe submitted his proposal and within a month, Sakabe’s film project on Yoshitomo Nara would begin.

And what Koji Sakabe was able to capture in 600 rolls of film from four countries of Yoshitomo Nara within 2005-2006 is absolutely amazing.  Considering that Nara rarely lets people into his personal life, let alone, giving people the opportunity to see him work on his art.  In fact “”New People Artist Series 001: Traveling with Yoshitomo Nara” features Yoshitomo Nara working on a project and is the first time, a complete creation process was ever captured on film.

Throughout the documentary, we get to see the creative side of Yoshitomo Nara, how he thinks but also a sense of discomfort being around people, let alone people recording him.  In a four-page pamphlet included in the DVD, Director Sakabe actually mentioned that in one instance during the Winter of 2005, Nara would not allow cameras to enter his place and even told the director that he moved away so he could not be distracted.

Needless to say, Yoshitomo Nara is captured on film.  But not just Nara but also those who are enamored with his art.  From the seven-year-old girl who loves Nara’s artwork and is inspired to draw, to the countless female fans that he has that want to know when he will get married or if he’s dating anyone.  But most of all, it’s about the creation of “AtoZ”, an amazing project that feature Yoshitomo Nara + graf and featured traveling to various countries where he would showcase his art through his exhibit but his team would create a world by building mini-like home areas where his artwork would be kept and can be viewed by the public.

At over 90 minutes, this is probably the most we will ever see of Yoshitomo Nara.  This is indeed a rare glimpse of the popular artist and the fact that cameras were able to capture the very private artist is amazing.  And now “Traveling with  Yoshitomo Nara” is available on DVD in the US courtesy of Viz Media’s New People Artist Series.

The documentary is narrated by actress Aoi Miyazaki.

VIDEO & AUDIO:

“”New People Artist Series 001: Traveling with Yoshitomo Nara” is a documentary featured in 16:9 Anamorphic Widescreen.  For a documentary, picture quality is a clear and colorful look into the artist’s world.  At home, at various galleries in different countries and more, I was absolutely pleased with the picture quality of this documentary.  And at the same time, it’s hard to complain because we are given a rare insight to Nara’s work.

Audio is in Dolby Digital and there is quite a bit of Japanese Indy rock music utilized in the documentary.  With the use of the music, it definitely gives a hip and stylish feel to the documentary.  Audio is in Japanese with English subtitles.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

“New People Artist Series 001: Traveling with Yoshitomo Nara” comes with no special features but trailers for Viz Pictures.  A 4-page booklet with notes titled “Notes on the Journey with Yoshitomo Nara” by Dirctor Koji Sakabe  is included with the DVD.  The notes are about Sakabe’s experience of working with Yoshitomo Nara and becoming part of this project and experiencing the creation of “AtoZ”.  Interesting insight by Sakabe.

I have been following Yoshitomo Nara’s works for years and I absolutely love his creations and you often wonder, what goes through his head when he creates his artwork.  Needless to say, this first volume from the New People Artist Series definitely gives us that personal insight of the world acclaimed artist.

Although not surprised, one thing that was great to see is the fandom.  Even Nara seems bewildered of the people who love him and his work and his reactions are of a shy man but is very grateful to his fans.  In fact, the people who are there that touch his life, he has created artwork in their name and it’s just that appreciation for his fans and his supporters, definitely shows you a humble man who does care.  It’s one thing for an artist who paints because that’s their livelihood but this documentary gives us that additional insight to how his mind works, even though he is not a man that is good at expressing his emotions (which he explains in the documentary).

But what I enjoyed also about “Traveling with Yoshitomo Nara” was the creation of “AtoZ”.  The man power, the many hours that went into creating it and then to watch everyone who contributed, say goodbye to the exhibit when everything was all done.

At the end, I came off feeling even more appreciation for Nara.  It’s one thing to appreciate one’s work but finally getting that rare glimpse of the artist at work and getting that opportunity to see part of his world is just fantastic.

I applause Viz Pictures for releasing this documentary on DVD and also for planning more New People Artist Series releases as well.

Yoshitomo Nara fans… this is simply a no-brainer, “New People Artist Series 001: Traveling with Yoshitomo Nara” is highly recommended!