Portrait of Ohno Kazuo
c. late 1990s. Printed by Zelmer Phillips. Screenprint on paper. 23 x 29 in. Item #POS168
A striking image of the legendary Kazuo Ohno, who along with Hijikata Tatsumi co-founded the Japanese dance movement known as Butoh. Influenced by the novels of Yukio Mishima, Genet, and De Sade, as well as the theatre of Antonin Artaud, Butoh eschewed western forms of movement like ballet in favor of visceral, abject, transgressive movements that dealt with taboo themes themes like homosexuality, crime, and death.
Ohno, probably the most well known of Butoh’s dancers, was among the most important figures in 20th century dance. As well as starring in performances such as La Argentina Sho and My Mother, he acted and danced in such cult films as Portrait of Mr. O. A consummate artist and original, he captivated everyone who saw his performances, continuing to dance until he was nearly 100 years old. Among his many admirers was Ira Cohen, who met Ohno in the late 90s. Cohen took several photographs of Ohno one of which was the basis for this screenprint.
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