THE HYPE AND THE HUSH-HUSH TAKASHI MURAKAMI

ARTS NEWS
May 31st 2011, 00:00

34 Long Fine Art owners Andries Loots and Fred de Jager face a unique challenge in publicising this months Takashi Murakami exhibition. They are not allowed to use any of the images that will be on display to promote this event. Instead, invites are word only affairs that, in the richly visual art world, stand as naked as an undressed tailors dummy at a fashion show. This strange approach is due to the tightly bound copyright surrounding Murakamis work. Its a time-consuming and not easy task to secure permission for an exhibition of this artists work. Except for the numerous museum exhibitions, his original work is only shown at two galleries around the world. 34 Long Fine Art is one of very few galleries worldwide who deals directly with the artist to obtain and legally exhibit editioned works. It takes about a year of negotiation to secure an exhibition. Each exhibition is on a one-show basis only and accompanying the work is a contract as thick as a telephone directory. It stipulates in utmost detail that no image in the exhibition is to be reproduced in any way. No media publicity without previous consent. No photographs without Takashis personal approval and without adhering to his stringent specifications may be published or used in any way. All media material is provided by the artists own PR personnel in a prescribed format. Andries says that this caution, verging perhaps on paranoia (according to some media insiders), protects the quality of Murakamis images and designs, ensuring that shabby reproductions and fakes dont enter the market. Everybody is aware of how many fake Louis Vuitton items, designed by Murakami in collaboration with Mark Jacobs, are in circulation. Certainly, the circumspection hasnt harmed sales, but rather added a mystique and desirability to Murakamis work. Pop art, originally meant to be affordable art for everyone, has in many cases become available to only very few because of exclusivity and price. Accompanying the exhibition is a range of merchandise that carry on the tradition of accessibility. Possibly its the art exhibition with the biggest range in prices you are likely to find, with stickers ranging from R25 to the most expensive print priced at R150 000.