Takao Iijima (Ay-O) (May 1931 – present)
“There is no doubt that one of the true aims of art is humor…”
– Ay-O
Takao Iijima (also known by his art name ‘Ay-O’) is a Japanese visual and performance artist; he is best known for his ‘rainbow style’ in his painting and printmaking (in Japan, he is known as the ‘Rainbow Man’). He is also known for his ‘Finger Boxes’, as well as his performance events.
In 1961, Yoko Ono introduced Ay-O to George Maciunas; Ay-O started affiliating himself with Fluxus in 1963. Since then he worked closely with fellow Fluxus artists including George Maciunas, Emmett Williams, Dick Higgins and Nam June Paik. Ay-O became a central member of Maciunas’ ‘Tokyo Fluxus’ group together with Yoko Ono in the early 1960s.
Biographies:
Biography: https://www.artelino.com/articles/ay-o.asp
Conz Archive biography: http://archivioconz.com/artist/ay-o/
Biography: http://www.myjapanesehanga.com/home/artists/ay-o-b-1931
Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo biography: https://www.e-flux.com/announcements/34486/ay-o/
British Museum biography: https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/term/BIOG198
Artland biography: https://www.artland.com/artists/ayo
Biography: https://www.centerforthehumanities.org/programming/participants/ay-o
Biography (German): http://forschung-kuenstlerpublikationen.de/Ay-O.html
Biography & external links: https://en-academic.com/dic.nsf/enwiki/4678498
Conz Archive biography: http://archivioconz.com/artist/ay-o/
Biography: https://www.tiger-tanuki.com/print-14
Visual Exhibits:
MoMA visual exhibits: https://www.moma.org/artists/255
Artnet Visual exhibits: http://www.artnet.com/artists/ay-o/
Visual exhibits: Visual exhibits: http://www.hundertmark-gallery.com/artist-ay-o.0.html
7 artworks on Artsy: https://www.artsy.net/artist/ay-o
Visual exhibits: https://www.fondazionebonotto.org/en/collection/fluxus/ayo
Visual exhibits: https://www.artax.de/takaojijimaayo.html
Finger Box, 1964: https://imma.ie/collection/finger-box/
Fingers Boxes: https://harvardartmuseums.org/collections/person/21154?person=21154
Interviews:
2014 written interview with Ay-O: http://www.kcua.ac.jp/arc/ar/ay-o-oral-history_en/
Written Resources:
‘Rainbow Manifesto’ by Ay-O: https://www.ubu.com/historical/gb/manifestos.pdf
Video Resources:
Video on Japanese prints – Ay-O: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CDQTy77EXng&t=28s&ab_channel=artelinoArtAuctions
Ay-O prints:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7IYR5_t3r3I&ab_channel=inesvigo