Question 1

Where can I see Ay-O's work?

Accepted Answer

Ay-O's work has been featured in many exhibitions. In 1961, his art appeared in 'Adventure in Today's Art of Japan' at the National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo. A few years later, in 1965, his pieces were included in 'The New Japanese Painting and Sculpture', organised by the Museum of Modern Art, New York, which toured across America. Venues included the Denver Art Museum, the Krannert Art Museum (University of Illinois), and the Baltimore Museum of Art.

His art was also part of the 'Ninth Annual Tokyo Biennale' in 1967, which travelled to multiple locations in Japan, including Kyoto, Takamatsu, and Nagoya. In 1969, Ay-O's work was shown in 'Pop Art' at the Hayward Gallery, London, and in 'Contemporary Art/Dialogue between the East and the West' at the National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo.

More recently, a 1994 exhibition of his drawings from 1964 to 1974 was held at the Hara Museum of Contemporary Art, Tokyo.

Question 2

What should I know about Ay-O's prints?

Accepted Answer

When collecting Ay-O's prints, remember that Japanese paper is susceptible to humidity changes. Finished prints should be stored interleaved with acid-free tissue in a drawer or box. Pigments can be fugitive, so avoid hanging prints in bright light for extended periods, as certain colours fade faster than others. Pale pinks and blues are especially prone to fading. Vermilion can turn black over time, altering the picture's balance. Avoid hanging prints over radiators or heat sources. Prints that have dried unevenly can be straightened by carefully re-moistening them between damp sheets of newsprint and drying them again under a weight. Use a steel rule and cutting knife for a straight edge. To form a torn deckle edge on Japanese paper, place the metal ruler on the line, run a clean brush dipped in water along the edge and then tear the paper back against the ruler.

Question 3

Why are Ay-O's works important today?

Accepted Answer

Ay-O's significance stems from his association with the Gutai Art Association, a radical Japanese art collective formed in 1954. Gutai artists pursued innovative approaches, rejecting traditional artistic conventions. Ay-O joined in 1955, contributing to their experimental spirit.

His "Finger Boxes", starting in the early 1960s, are particularly important. These small boxes, each containing a different tactile experience, invite viewers to engage with art through touch. This multisensory approach challenged the dominance of vision in art appreciation.

Ay-O's work also connects to broader trends in the post-war avant-garde. His exploration of chance and audience participation aligns with the Fluxus movement's emphasis on everyday experience and blurring the boundaries between art and life. His activities, alongside those of Akasegawa Genpei and Zero Dimension, contributed to a period of cultural activism, questioning established norms and exploring new forms of political expression through art.

Question 4

Who was Ay-O?

Accepted Answer

Takao Iijima, born in Ibaraki Prefecture in 1931, is also known as Ay-O. He studied at Tokyo University of Education and became part of Tokyo's postwar avant-garde before joining Fluxus in 1963.

Question 5

What techniques or materials did Ay-O use?

Accepted Answer

Ay-O's work encompasses a wide range of materials and techniques. Traditional Japanese crafts, such as hyogu, involve mounting art. This process uses thin woven fabrics like silk or damask for framing, combined with layers of paper to ensure flexibility. The narrow strips, ichimonji, often use gold brocade. The technique includes applying water to straighten the fabric, then attaching it to backing paper with glue, smoothing out wrinkles with a brush.

Sculptural techniques involve a mix of materials, not always adhering to a single tool for each substance. Masks influence the techniques, transferring their effects into wood and other media. Sculptors often combine various materials in one piece, using items like nails to represent hair, creating new forms and symbolic effects. Materials such as shells or large-headed nails might represent eyes, their forms integrated into the surrounding materials.

Question 6

Who did Ay-O influence?

Accepted Answer

Ay-O was associated with Fluxus, an international group of artists, composers, and designers known for their experimental art performances. Fluxus figures such as Ay-O, Hachiya Kazuhiko and Pierre Huyghe compel viewers to become active participants. Hachiya's interactive art incorporates swings, skateboard ramps, and sumo wrestling rings. His work *Over the Rainbow* (1994) produces a rainbow spectrum of lights when all participants are swinging at different heights. Hachiya's *PostPet* (1996-2002) creates digital creatures that live in fantastic homes on your computer desktop and deliver your e-mail. Huyghe explores the intersection of real and imaginary characters. His examination of narrative structures has focused on those of the cinema and the technological and personal aspects of filmmaking and viewing. Works such as *Remake* (1995), *Sleeptalking* (1998), and *The Third Memory* (1999) combine contemporary reenactments with interviews and original footage.

Question 7

Who influenced Ay-O?

Accepted Answer

Ay-O, a key figure in the Fluxus art movement, drew influence from various sources. The Gutai group, particularly its performances and outdoor exhibitions, provided a framework for his artistic approach. Ay-O's work shares conceptual ground with the Gutai's engagement with materials and the integration of art into life. Dada soirees at the Cabaret Voltaire, with their experimental and anti-art ethos, also anticipate aspects of Gutai and, by extension, Ay-O's artistic explorations.

Figures like John Cage, Earle Brown, and David Tudor were part of a network of influence, with Cage's conceptual, anti-art stance resonating with Ay-O's contemporaries. The downtown New York art scene, where artists presented their work, facilitated cross-pollination of ideas and approaches. These influences contributed to Ay-O's development as an artist within the Fluxus movement.

Question 8

What is Ay-O's most famous work?

Accepted Answer

It is difficult to name one single work as Ay-O's most famous. He produced a large number of watercolours, India ink drawings, and installations.

His work from the 1970s and early 1980s includes watercolours such as *Counterpoint* (1977), *Sven Duva in Hades* (1975), *The Queen Threatened* (1976), and *Grasshopper by a Rainbow* (1981). These pieces are held in private and public collections, including the Ateneum Art Museum in Helsinki and the Amos Anderson Art Museum, also in Helsinki.

Ay-O is associated with the Gutai Art Association, a radical, post-war Japanese art group. He moved to New York in 1961, becoming involved with the Fluxus movement. His "Finger Boxes" are perhaps his best known works from this period: enclosed boxes that viewers experience through touch alone. These boxes align with Fluxus's interest in sensory experience and challenging traditional art forms.

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