In 1961, seven years after J.D. Salinger began his lifelong, self-imposed exile from public life, John Updike described the author as "a uniquely relevant literary artist." Whether Salinger thought Updike's statement was a compliment or a slight is irrelevant. Criticism, publicity, or praise -- Salin

Angry, Dark, Dystopic, Post-war literature, Psychological, Rebel

Yohji Yamamoto's 1999 spring fashion show is said to have made hardened fashion editors cry. The so-called King of Japanese Deconstructivism takes a poetic stance with his angular and hard-edged designs, emphasizing simplicity of both line and function. His work is filled with dark, sharp, vivid line

Clean, Dark, Deconstructive, Minimal, Sexy

Hayao Miyazaki (宮崎 駿, Miyazaki Hayao) is a prominent director of many popular animated feature films. He is also the co-founder of Studio Ghibli, an animation studio and production company. He remained largely unknown to the West, outside of animation communities, until Miramax released his

Anime & manga, Dark, Dystopic, Layered, Mythic, Pioneering

Butoh, Dark, Death, Pioneering, Sublime