I’m glad that entrance to this exhibit is free [Ed.’s Note: All galleries are free to enter!] because there really weren’t that many works to see, although it looked pretty big from the street. However, I definitely enjoyed what was there though. It wasn’t a wasted afternoon.

Yayoi Kusama was born in Matsumoto Japan, 1929. In celebration of her eightieth year, the Gagosian Gallery in New York exhibited some of her artworks from April 16 — June 25 on the walls in large open spaces. Some of her art is painted on large square canvasses taller than the average teenager. There are a bit more than 15 canvases, the bulk of which have colors brighter than the fourth of July and are great contrasts to a rainy day.

The exhibit starts of with a self-portrait of the artist herself composed entirely of small circles and a green and black background. Neither cheerful nor depressing it is a good thing to shove in people’s faces as they walk in. Then you walk into a large room with several canvases mainly consisting of acrylic paintings of a solid background covered in circles of a contrasting color. This description does not do justice to the variety, color and emotion of each painting. Many of them consisting of only two colors are simple but can still express strong emotions. They are characterized by their titles such as I Want to Live Forever, Enlightenment Means Living a Life Unconcernedly, Aftermath of Obliteration of Eternity, and my favorite, Pumpkin — a giant pumpkin sculpture whose black spots and orange color spilled out and covered all the walls. Each of these titles, along with their canvasses, tells a story.

The best part was saved for last. In the back, was a room called Aftermath of Obliteration of Eternity (also known as the Infinity Room) that had walls covered in mirrors and was completely dark except for a few lights hanging from the ceiling. As you stand in the middle, something magical happens. Effect of mirrors and lights create the illusion of an eternity of lights surrounding you wherever you look.

Although there’s not actually much to see, the amazing experience of what is there was worth it. It’s best to combine this visit with trips to the other galleries in the Chelsea area.