The Knowing

The Weeknd at Congress Theater, Chicago

It was Friday night in Chicago around 7pm. I had been walking for almost an hour downtown, already soaking wet from the pouring rain (umbrellas are completely useless when there is wind!!!). I had lost track of how many blocks it had been, and was desperately looking down the street for any open taxis, which of course there were none. As all my friends know, I normally have no problem being fashionably late, but tonight was different. Tonight I had tickets to see The Weeknd at Congress!!! I had first downloaded the House of Balloons mixtape while I was living in London a year and a half ago, and since then his mixtapes have dominated my speakers and headphones. 

Words can’t even describe how excited I was, I had heard mixed reviews of how he was live but I didn’t care. I remember getting lost trying to find a cab and literally just felt like bawling because I thought I would miss the show. Eventually I stumbled on the blue line and made it to Amanda’s, who conveniently lives only a few blocks away from the venue. I was a mess, my hair and clothes were wet and my mascara was basically running down my face but I made it!!

Congress was PACKED, I definitely was not expecting to see so many people. The crowd kept on throwing X’s up in the air during all his songs. Whoever told me the The Weeknd wasn’t a good performer clearly did not know what they were talking about. It was amazing to see such raw talent live, and I am so glad I made it. My only regret is that I wasn’t in the first row (I was in a decent spot but I’m used to fighting my way to the front somehow). I’m not too worried about it though, I have a feeling I will see him perform again. xo

Louis Vuitton & Yayoi Kusama

I recently was in Hong Kong, and noticed they had replaced my favorite Starbucks with a Louis Vuitton store. I had heard about the collaboration between Yayoi Kusama and the famous brand, but I have to admit I was not that impressed by the design.  

Pacific Place, Hong Kong

Short Hills Mall, New Jersey

That was until I learned that the dots represented reoccurring nightmares that Yayoi Kusama had suffered from almost her entire life. Painting dots was Kusama’s way of coping with the consistent feeling that an unknown force would destroy not only her, but also her family and entire world.  Many of her famous pieces were inspired by childhood visions and hallucinations. Kusama spent almost forty years of her life in an open ward of a mental institution, and said she often viewed herself as “a dot lost among a million other dots.”

"Self-Obliteration" 1967

“My artwork is an expression of my life, particularly of my mental disease… My art originates from hallucinations only I can see. I translate the hallucinations and obsessional images that plague me into sculptures and paintings.”

"Infinity Dots" 2007

Photo of Kusama reclining on "Accumulation No. 2" 1966

Once I learned all this, I looked at the design in a completely different way. I myself have suffered from reoccurring nightmares and understand how frightening and realistic they can seem. Kasuma clearly had no control of the hallucinations and anxiety she was experiencing, and painting was her way of identifying and facing her biggest fears. It’s amazing how much my opinion of her art changed when I learned more about her.

Sources: http://bysuchandsuch.com/2012/08/yayoi-kusama/, http://spunktitud3.wordpress.com/2012/07/10/yayoi-kusama-louis-vuitton/