Seven Days in the Art World: The Studio Visit

So, I read The Studio Visit and, again, it was pretty interesting. I am already a bit familiar with Murukami's work, so it was interesting to here how his studio works. One thing that I knew was that he had others make his work for him, but what I was interested to here was that he actually gives credit to all of his workers. I've never heard of any other artist that would actually put their worker's names up with the work. I was really happy to learn that. I remember learning about how Judy Chicago didn't give anyone else recognition for The Dinner Party and was very upset that the "Art World" worked that way. I also found it really interesting and refreshing to here that he helps to promote the careers of his workers as artists. Its nice to here that these people are being treated like people and artists themselves. I found this quote interesting: "Unlike Warhol's Factory, where, in the words of the art historian Caroline A. Jones, women were 'expected to work hard for no pay, suffer beautifully, and tell all,' six of the seven artists whose independent careers are promoted by Kaikai Kiki are female." I didn't know there was such inequality in the studio in the past, and I wonder why women especially weren't treated as artists, but I am glad these prejudices aren't present in Kaikai Kiki. I thought it was funny how Murukami directs his work. "I don't know how to operate Illustrator, but I will say 'yes, yes, yes, no, no, no" when I check the work." I imagine him standing over his workers' shoulders and critisizing what they do. I think someone not physically creating their own work is strange, but at least he as connected to it as he can be given his set of skills. I also found it interesting and a little sad at the same time...how his work is commercial and art...at the same time. When they said about his Oval Buddha, "We're gonna make an edition of ten on a domestic scale...People should be able to live with Oval, I felt like..is this supposed to be for the artists entertainment or income? I don't know, and maybe its both. But I guess thats ok...