Airmail No. 2 Accumulation

1959–1972

A passionate platonic bond with Joseph Cornell

In New York Kusama had a brief relationship with Judd and then a passionate but platonic one with Joseph Cornell, twenty-six years her senior: they phoned each other daily, sketched each other, and he sent her personalised collages. The bond lasted until Cornell’s death in 1972.

1960s

O’Keeffe asks her dealer Edith Herbert to support Kusama

Georgia O’Keeffe introduced Kusama to the art dealer Edith Herbert, who became her financial mainstay for several years: O’Keeffe persuaded her own dealer to buy several works so that Kusama could stave off hardship. In those years Kusama was regularly hospitalised from overwork and earned almost nothing from her art.

1960–1975

Travel: United States

1962

The only woman in the “Nul” exhibition

In 1962 Kusama was the only woman among the participants of the international group exhibition “Nul” (“Zero”) at the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam, alongside Lucio Fontana and Otto Piene.

1963

A sofa of protrusions and Oldenburg’s sewn sculptures

In June 1963 the Green Gallery showed her sofa covered with sewn phallic protrusions alongside a papier-mâché sculpture by Claes Oldenburg. Kusama’s piece drew the most attention, and by September Oldenburg was exhibiting sewn soft sculptures, some very like hers; his wife apologised to Kusama at the show. The art historian Midori Yamamura believes Oldenburg was likely inspired by Kusama; Kusama became depressed.

1963

“The Thousand Boats Show” and Warhol’s cry

In December 1963 Kusama showed an installation with a boat covered in phallic growths in a room papered with black-and-white photographs of herself. On seeing it Andy Warhol exclaimed, “Yayoi, what is this? Fantastic!”; not long afterwards he papered the walls of an exhibition space with photographs of a cow’s head.