This week, we consider the lasting impact of Takashi Murakami's Superflat art movement on the chaotic visual landscape of the 21st century. The youthful funkiness of "Frutiger Metro," the punk orientalism of Tokidoki, and the dystopian cheekiness of Gorillaz all epitomize the hybridization of cultural symbols between East and West and the flattening of art and consumer culture. We reflect on the Y2K revival of Atompunk, nostalgia for the utopian promise of Microsoft Windows, and the importance of lime green in a girl’s bid for independence.
Links:
Tokidoki: Cute and Sexy Fantasies between East and West
Tragedy and the Superflat by Daniel Moldoveanu for Spike
What is Frutiger Aero? by Laura Holliday for Dazed
Superflat Pop via CARI Institute
Frank Ocean's Homer vs Kareem Rashid's Digipop
NEW YORK - night n day album art
Tokidoki Healthy Besties Blindbox
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