Remedying through Appropriative Methods: The Art of Yasumasa Morimura

Vermeer Study: Looking Back (Mirror), Yasumasa Morimura, 2008

Imitation is the greatest form of flattery, some say, but for Yasumasa Morimura, his intentions go much deeper than that and oppose this popular statement. 

Morimura is considered an appropriative* contemporary artist due the subject of his artworks. Appropriation art can be found throughout 20th century art, and movements are recreated such as Neo-Realism and Neo-Impressionism. Appropriative art became popular in the mid-twentieth century with silkscreens by Andy Warhol.

So what is appropriation art? This type of artwork is recreating images that are most of the time easily recognizable. Like Andy Warhol with his silkscreens of celebrities such as Elvis Presley and Marilyn Monroe. Morimura takes this appropriation further by recreating well-known images from the canon of Western art history to help with the telling of his artworks’ narratives.

In the retelling of all of his self-portraits, Morimura employs himself as the canvas and as a tool in his examination of common motifs found in Western art history. In Vermeer Study: Looking Back (Mirror), at first glance, the audience’s immediate thought is that they are viewing the famous Girl with the Pearl Earring by celebrated Dutch artist, Johannes Vermeer. Only upon second glance does the audience realize that the subject of the artwork is not the young Dutch girl that they are familiar with. In fact, the artwork is not even a painting at all, but a photograph depicting a Japanese man in the exact apparel of the young woman found in the original portrayal. Besides the subject of the artwork differing from the original, every other detail is the same as the Vermeer painting; even down to the positioning of Morimura’s body and the tilt of the head to the viewer. Morimura is meticulous in his depiction. One would not know that the image is a photograph unless they were told this detail about the artwork.

One can find this exact attention to detail in Morimura’s other depictions of artworks from Western art history and one can find other familiar faces just as well-known as the Girl with the Pearl Earring in all of his portrayals. 

So, why are Morimura’s appropriative studies so significant for contemporary art?

In these self-portraits, Morimura has many intentions. The artworks subvert historical rules around gender, sexual identity, and race in a satirical manner. His artworks are very much a criticism on Western art history and its lack of diversity. For centuries, non-white figures found in Western artworks were used as a tool for the narrative of the artwork, or even worse, as a way of conveying exoticism. By placing himself as a Japanese man into these new portrayals of the artworks, Morimura not only forces a discussion about the lack of representation that continues today in art, but also becomes the author of what a Japanese man can look like in art, and society. In a recent article about contemporary Japanese artists, Artsy Editorial makes an astute observation about Morimura’s artworks, “while contemplating Japan’s complex absorption of Western culture, Morimura has explored the obscure state of being oneself by using his body, an Asian male body, which has been marginalized and feminized in contrast to the masculinity of the West. Within the traditional scope of self-portraiture, his practice unfolds temporally, engaging with the past, but also dragging the effects of history into contemporary culture.” (Maruyama, Artsy Editorial)**

One may have the question, “is this a form of plagiarism?” You aren’t the only one. In fact, one of Morimura’s self-portraits got him into a little trouble years back when he was taken to court for a form of artistic plagiarism, however he was rightfully found not guilty of this. This is because his artworks are satirical in nature and they have a whole new narrative from the original artwork they were inspired by. And, at their core, these artworks are self-portraits, after all. So no need to worry about that. Context is key when it comes to artistic expression (and if there is monetary intent). 

Traditionally, European and American art has been the most highly regarded, historically and somewhat into the present. European and American artists have received the highest bids in auction. So, by giving these artworks a new story is not only noteworthy because it is so atypical, but it is essential for moving forward with subjects in art. Since there has been such a lack of representation and diversity historically, contemporary artists should make a huge effort to give these subjects their deserving place in the medium of visual arts. Visual art administrators of any kind -- from dealers to curators -- should be working especially hard to give these voices and subjects more coverage and support.

Until the day where the art world reverses this exclusivity, artists like Morimura are integral for the contemporary art movement to progress. Morimura captures that exact likeness of these iconic images from Western art history, but the change in narrative gives the content more depth; artistically and critically. 

I hope to see more bold artists like Morimura creating discussions about the issues that lie behind iconic images found in the canon of Western art history, because there are many. The art world will have a very hard time moving forward without at least attempting to rectify these issues. One day, I hope that artists will not have to be considered bold or making a statement by identifying wrongs of the past. Until then, artists like Morimura will help us to see the truth. Perhaps, we shouldn’t refer to Yasumasa Morimura as an appropriative artist, but an artist who creates historical remedies.

*For the purposes of this examination, the term “appropriative” or any iterations of this term are not used with a negative connotation. In modern vernacular, the word appropriation is generally associated with less than savory discussions, but for our intent the term has a neutral connotation.

**Editorial, A., & Maruyama, M. (2020, December 23). 10 Japanese Artists Who Are Shaping Contemporary Art. Retrieved January 05, 2021, from https://www.artsy.net/article/artsy-editorial-10-japanese-artists-shaping-contemporary-art?utm_medium=email