Ay-O (1931) - Rainbow Passes Slowly 1971

Overview:
A vibrant original silkscreen print by the world-renowned "Rainbow Artist," Ay-O (born 1931). This piece, titled "Rainbow Passes Slowly," was created in 1971, a pivotal year in the artist's career following his involvement with the Fluxus movement and the 1970 Osaka Expo.

Artistic Significance:
Ay-O is celebrated for his unique use of the spectrum as a conceptual tool. In this work, he masterfully applies his signature rainbow gradients to a dynamic, organic form, creating a sense of movement and tactile depth. His works are held in major museum collections worldwide, including the MoMA (New York), the British Museum, and the Tokyo Museum of Contemporary Art.


Size
Height: 75 cm
Width: 55 cm


Condition:
The colors remain vivid and the impression is sharp. There are minor signs of age-related wear/staining (as seen in the photos), which is expected for a vintage print from the early 1970s. Sold as a sheet only (unframed), making it ideal for international shipping.


Artist Profile
靉嘔 Ay-O (1931– ) — born Takao Iijima on May 19, 1931, in Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan — is one of the most internationally recognized Japanese avant-garde artists of the postwar era, widely celebrated as the "Rainbow Artist." After graduating from Tokyo University of Education, he moved to New York in 1958 and became a core member of Fluxus, the influential international avant-garde collective founded by George Maciunas, working alongside Yoko Ono, Nam June Paik, and Emmett Williams. His celebrated Finger Box series and large-scale tactile installations brought him early acclaim within the Fluxus movement. From the 1960s onward, Ay-O devoted himself to his signature rainbow aesthetic — employing a painstaking silkscreen technique to create luminous, densely layered compositions spanning the full visible spectrum. He represented Japan at the Venice Biennale (1966) and the São Paulo Biennale (1971), and his works are held in the permanent collections of MoMA (New York), the Centre Pompidou (Paris), the British Museum (London), the Whitney Museum of American Art, and the National Museum of Modern Art (Tokyo and Kyoto), among others.


Shipping Information

NOITICE:

The lot will be carefully packaged and sent by Japan Post.
It takes about 3 weeks to receive normally.
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