Project Research

The style I was assigned for is contemporary art; therefore, instead of summarizing all the contemporary arts into one single design language and style, one style is chosen to scale down the project size, and thus, easier to work with. The selected art movement would be Superflat, which is a postmodern art movement, founded by the artist Takashi Murakami. The term is used by Murakami to refer to various flattened forms in Japanese graphic art, animation, pop culture and fine arts, as well as the "shallow emptiness of Japanese consumer culture." A self-proclaimed art movement, it was a successful piece of niche marketing, a branded art phenomenon designed for Western audiences.

A central influence on the concept of 'superflat' is the japanese cartoon culture of manga where enthusiasts are lured into a magical world that is divorced from reality. the insistent two-dimensionality of manga often results in an overall patterning of colors and shapes which provides a parallel space in which to escape from the pressures and expectations of society at large. all of the artists in 'superflat' work between the established boundaries of their respective genres, for instance where fine art photography meets commercial photography, where painting meets illustration, or where fashion meets theatrical costuming. The 'super'" in 'superflat' not only emphasizes the planar qualities of much of the work, but also denotes a special, charged characteristic or attitude. with 'superflat' murakami suggests a broader definition of contemporary art in japan and the wide range of activity within the exhibition can be seen as a direct challenge to the traditional borders and hierarchies between cultural genres.