An Infinity of Lights

I first saw Yayoi Kusama's work in 2003 at the Robert Miller Gallery in Chelsea, and remember being blown away when I walked into "Fireflies on the Water." I wouldn't go so far as to call the experience life-changing, but it definitely inspired and altered me in some form. Am envious of my NYC friends who have the opportunity to check out the retrospective at the Whitney.

From the New York Times--

An Infinity of Lights: Photos From the New Yayoi Kusama Exhibit
By AMY KELLNER

The adorable, polka-dot-obsessed Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama is having her first United States retrospective at the Whitney Museum in July, but today the first part of the show opens. The installation, “Fireflies on the Water,” consists of a small room with mirrored walls, two inches of water on the floor, a raised platform for a viewer to stand on and 150 colored lights dangling from the ceiling. Only one person is allowed in the room at a time. Once the door closes behind you, it’s like you’re suspended in outer space. An infinity of lights surrounds you.

We were curious to see how the show was put together, so we sent our photographers Marvin Orellana and Gabrielle Plucknette to document the process in recent days. Take a look at the photos, read more about the show and start lining up now.

Gabrielle Plucknette/The New York Times

Gabrielle Plucknette/The New York Times