Finger Box Suitcase. (Unique Fluxus Object)
Ay-o
Tokyo. 1966
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A unique Fluxus object created by Ay-O for the Venice Biennale of 1966.
Ay-O (born 1931) was introduced to George Maciunas by Yoko Ono in 1961, and went on to work closely with him, along with other artists closely associated with Fluxus such as Emmett Williams, Dick Higgins and Nam June Paik.
In Japan Ay-O is known as the 'Rainbow Man' for his striking artworks which use up to 192 gradations of colour. These first came to public attention when Ay-O represented Japan at the Venice Biennale in 1966, where the present work was also shown.
This unique work consists of a set of 15 finger boxes, here each individually hand-painted by the artist in a variety of bright colours. Each of the boxes contains a different object (string, a smooth pink ball and so on) to give various tactile experiences. One of the boxes is wired to an external battery and metal bell. Such electrically activated elements were also used by Ay-O in his contribution to the Flux Cabinet.
The artist's printed Fluxus label is here affixed to a protective layer of foam within the lid of the suitcase.
The work is in a remarkably fresh condition, only lacking the the thin slitted rubber membranes which originally covered the holes of each box, which crack and dry out with age.
The boxes contain the following: buzzer with battery pack (orange box), foam (yellow box), silk scarf (red box), marbles (blue box), air (aubergine box), wire brushes (green box), string (red box), resin (red box), section of wood placed at an angle (orange box), circular plastic container with crystal (aubergine box), boards with inverted nails sticking up (blue box), gravel (aubergine box), rubber ball (orange box), powdery substance (green box), unidentifiable small shavings? (yellow box).
The work is accompanied by a modern certificate of authenticity, signed by the artist.
'There are numerous variations of the Fluxus edition - each with the element of mystery, danger, and seduction. The work appears in FLUXUS 1 as an envelope with a slit in it, sometimes containing a nylon stocking; in Fluxkits or in groups of 15 wooden boxes in attaché cases - each box with different contents.' (Hendricks).
[Fluxus Codex, p.175 (other examples of standard finger box edition); Fluxus etc. The Gilbert and Lila Silverman Collection, no. 16 (unpainted set)].
Ay-O (born 1931) was introduced to George Maciunas by Yoko Ono in 1961, and went on to work closely with him, along with other artists closely associated with Fluxus such as Emmett Williams, Dick Higgins and Nam June Paik.
In Japan Ay-O is known as the 'Rainbow Man' for his striking artworks which use up to 192 gradations of colour. These first came to public attention when Ay-O represented Japan at the Venice Biennale in 1966, where the present work was also shown.
This unique work consists of a set of 15 finger boxes, here each individually hand-painted by the artist in a variety of bright colours. Each of the boxes contains a different object (string, a smooth pink ball and so on) to give various tactile experiences. One of the boxes is wired to an external battery and metal bell. Such electrically activated elements were also used by Ay-O in his contribution to the Flux Cabinet.
The artist's printed Fluxus label is here affixed to a protective layer of foam within the lid of the suitcase.
The work is in a remarkably fresh condition, only lacking the the thin slitted rubber membranes which originally covered the holes of each box, which crack and dry out with age.
The boxes contain the following: buzzer with battery pack (orange box), foam (yellow box), silk scarf (red box), marbles (blue box), air (aubergine box), wire brushes (green box), string (red box), resin (red box), section of wood placed at an angle (orange box), circular plastic container with crystal (aubergine box), boards with inverted nails sticking up (blue box), gravel (aubergine box), rubber ball (orange box), powdery substance (green box), unidentifiable small shavings? (yellow box).
The work is accompanied by a modern certificate of authenticity, signed by the artist.
'There are numerous variations of the Fluxus edition - each with the element of mystery, danger, and seduction. The work appears in FLUXUS 1 as an envelope with a slit in it, sometimes containing a nylon stocking; in Fluxkits or in groups of 15 wooden boxes in attaché cases - each box with different contents.' (Hendricks).
[Fluxus Codex, p.175 (other examples of standard finger box edition); Fluxus etc. The Gilbert and Lila Silverman Collection, no. 16 (unpainted set)].
Black vinyl attaché case containing 15 hollow wooden boxes each measuring 82 x 82 x 82 mm. The boxes have a hole with a rubber membrane cut so you can feel the contents, which include a nylon stocking, bristle brush, foam rubber, wooden block, and empty space.
#41166
