Issue link: http://papercitymagazine.uberflip.com/i/1020281
MR. DOB & ME TAKASHI TAKES FORT WORTH. By Billy Fong. Photography Walt Burns. W hen my friend Andrea Karnes, senior curator at the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, asked if I would be her plus-one for the opening dinner of "The Octopus Eats Its Own Leg" — a major retrospective of work by Japanese artist Takashi Murakami (through September 16) — my answer was a swift "Yes!" You're probably familiar with Murakami's art, perhaps through his collabs with Louis Vuitton or his album cover for Kanye West's 2007 Graduation. That night, I was pleased to see, aside from many friends, Murakami's oft-appearing character Mr. DOB, the artist's alter ego. The VIP dinner was set for just 200 guests. About 80 people made up the Fort Worth contingent (Allie Nikolaisen, Asad Dean, Vernon Fisher and Julie Bozzi, Allison and Terry Montesi), while the rest — international collectors, gallerists, and Murakami devotees — came from out of town. A tiny flock of Dallasites made the trip, including Capera Ryan, John Runyon, Lisa Dawson and Tom Maurstad, and Wendy and Jeremy Strick. Andrea and I sat at the head table, where our seat mates included the man of the hour himself, Takashi Murakami. After remarks from The Modern's director, Marla Price, the artist took the podium — and spoke entirely in Japanese. For those not fluent in Murakami's native tongue (99.9 percent of us), his translator translated. Post dinner, a late-night party commenced in the sculpture garden, which was lit in a kaleidoscope of Murakami colors, with mix-masters DJ Sober and A-Trak, plus one of my favorite hip-hop dance crews, the Jabbawockeez. As for the question posed by the exhibition title: The answer is yes. After some research, I found that an octopus sometimes does eat its own limb due to a neurological disorder — or, weirdly enough, out of stress or boredom. Jabbawockeez and Takashi Murakami John Warren, Lauren Garcia, Jerry James Isabel Hebert Eric Vickers, Jonathan Morris Angela Wonderly, Lee Tennison Takashi Murakami Mike Lopez, Holland Sanders Takashi Murakami's Kanye Bear, 2009 H O M E S L E E K H O M E 214-252-0404 www.casadilino.com 4026 Oak Lawn Ave. Dallas, TX 75219