Why is the And Then series important?

All the prints in this collection depict Mr. DOB, an iconic cartoon character created by Murakami in 1993. As seen in these prints, Mr. DOB’s appearance resembles that of Mickey Mouse. The character’s large eyes, fluttering eyelashes and pronounced teeth encapsulates the Japanese ‘kawaii’ aesthetic, characterised by cuteness.

How do I buy an And Then print?

One of the easiest and most cost-effective ways of buying work by Takashi Murakami is by using us to reach a seller. MyArtBroker is a curated site, meaning we feature artists that our collectors say they want. You can find Takashi Murakami art for sale here. You’ll need to create a free account to buy or sell with us.

How can I sell my And Then print?

If you're looking to sell art by Takashi Murakami, click the link and we can help. We employ a number of techniques and practices in order to give a realistic and achievable valuation on any art listed on myartbroker.com. We analyse the demand for the work in question, take into consideration previous sales and auction valuations, we assess the current gallery valuation and monitor the current deals taking place via MyArtBroker every day. We regularly advise sellers on a price bracket for their artwork completely free of charge.

And Then And Then And Then And Then And Then by Takashi Murakami Background & Meaning

And
Then And Then And Then And Then And Then

Takashi Murakami has been called the 'Warhol of Japan'; it is clear why when contemplating his print series, And Then And Then And Then And Then And Then. A series of lithographs created between the 1990s and 2013, the title hints at the obsessiveness of Murakami's serialisation (and variation across colours), redolent of Warhol’s.

Meaning & Analysis

And Then And Then And Then And Then And Then is a series of lithograph prints by Takashi Murakami. The prints in this collection range from early prints made by the artist at the start of his artistic career in the 1990s, to ones produced in 2013. By 2013, Murakami was an internationally acclaimed artist and designer who had been named one of Time Magazine’s “100 Most Influential People''and had collaborated with notable celebrities and luxury brands such as Kanye West and Louis Vuitton.

Murakami’s obsession with perfection, mechanical repetition and mass production has led to comparisons between the artist and Andy Warhol, the father of the Pop Art movement. Murakami has even been called the ‘Warhol of Japan’ and there are notable similarities between his artistic style and concerns and those of Warhol. After studying ‘nihonga’, a traditional style of Japanese painting at the Tokyo University of Fine Arts and Music, Murakami became disillusioned by the insular and highly political world of fine art. The artist began experimenting with contemporary artistic styles, taking inspiration from ‘otaku’ culture, a subculture rooted in computers and popular culture. His aesthetic was also influenced by anime and manga, which is generally considered to be part of Japan’s ‘low’ culture. Incorporating otaku culture, anime and manga into his artworks meant that Murakami was able to successfully blur the lines between ‘high’ art and ‘low’ culture, much like Warhol did when he made prints of everyday consumer goods like high heel shoes and Campbell’s soup cans. While Murakami is similar to Warhol in this sense, the artist remains unique, especially due to the way in which he fuses influences from the East and West into his art, adopting Western fine art techniques and merging them with Japanese culture and style.

All the prints in this collection depict Mr. DOB, an iconic cartoon character created by Murakami in 1993. As seen in these prints, Mr. DOB’s appearance resembles that of Mickey Mouse. The character’s large eyes, fluttering eyelashes and pronounced teeth encapsulates the Japanese ‘kawaii’ aesthetic, characterised by cuteness.
The character is often called Murakami’s alter-ego and has been reproduced in countless variations since its creation, as exemplified in this collection. Mr. DOB was born out of an unlikely purchase. When Murakami’s friend bought an Apple computer, Murakami and his friend were fascinated by the concept of being able to create a line that could not be produced by hand. The pair wanted to create a character that was free from any trace of human influence and could be reproduced thousands of times, essentially eliminating the hand of the artist from the artwork.
This fascination with obscuring the role of the artist from the artwork resonates with Murakami’s goal of absolute perfection. The artist created a factory in 1996, the Hiropon Factory, which became the KaiKai Kiki factory in 2001, through which he was able to train a team of over 100 technicians to help him mass produce his artworks. All of his prints use the same printing techniques, and he employs a team of technicians to clean each print with a Q-tip, ensuring that any smudges are removed. By incorporating this large team into his production process, Murakami questions the role of the artist, privileging instead a collaborative approach to art in which there is no single ‘hand of the artist’.
If you're looking to sell art by Takashi Murakami, click the link and we can help. We employ a number of techniques and practices in order to give a realistic and achievable valuation on any art listed on myartbroker.com. We analyse the demand for the work in question, take into consideration previous sales and auction valuations, we assess the current gallery valuation and monitor the current deals taking place via MyArtBroker every day. We regularly advise sellers on a price bracket for their artwork completely free of charge.