The word according to Yuko continues. During her presentation of her work, her process, her life, her inspirations, she showed us wonderful pictures of her studio and her idea chair under a window. She is in love with having good studiomates--people who challenge and complement her with her warning not to have a studiomate that you might ever compete with. From her advice, I can surmise there might have been a problem at some point in her career of studiomates. But back to inspiration....She has a panda bear toy she "talks to when no one is there". Japanese or English?? She loves the Taschen Icon books which she recommends the ENTIRE series as they are fab. reference (I agree) and inexpensive at that. To make them even more inexpensive, the Strand Bookstore has a selection at $7.50 a book if you are in NYC> (I just bought Indian Style and Indian Bazaarand was way tempted by others at the Strand...just couldnt bring myself to drag a ton home)>. She loves the following books:
Taschen's Film Posters of Russian Avant Garde.
Some People Can't Surf by Art Chantry, Jules Lansky
Genius Moves by Steven Heller
Make it Bigger by Paula Scherr
Heros and Ghosts by Kuniyoshi
Russian Children's books (illustration) Japanese (we saw at Rizzoli)
Graphic Design in the 20th C. (I think Taschen)
MOMA's catalog on the Stenberg Brothers
The bookstore called Kinoku Ni Ya (Rockefeller Center--deep in the back have the best japanese art books)
Yuko adores the Strand--It is the best, I agree.
So, check em out (Alibris? Amazon)--I am too!
Picture is by Yuko--for the Utne Reader.