Object Details
Artist
Keiichi Tanaami, born 1936
Sitter
Yoko Ono, born 18 Feb 1933
John Lennon, 9 Oct 1940 - 8 Dec 1980
Exhibition Label
Keiichi Tanaami’s hand-drawn animated feature, set to John Lennon’s 1971 song “Oh Yoko,” is an homage to both Yoko Ono (born 1933) and her creative collaboration with Lennon (1940–1980), as well as a psychedelic collage of popular culture imagery. Tanaami is one of the most renowned Pop artists to emerge from postwar Japan, referencing consumerism, commercial art techniques, and Andy Warhol in his work.
In this video, Tanaami captures key moments of Ono and Lennon’s love affair and activism, including their week-long “Bed-Ins” for world peace and their infamous nude pose for the Two Virgins album. Complementing Lennon’s upbeat instrumentation, the video also references the Beatles’ discography, with yellow submarines and strawberries, and incorporates classic American symbols such as hamburgers, motorcycles, and Elvis. When Ono met Lennon in 1966, she was already a budding conceptual and performance artist. Recognizing her lasting impact, the Museum of Modern Art recently honored Ono with a retrospective of her work.
El video de dibujos animados hechos a mano por Keiichi Tanaami, que tiene como fondo la canción “Oh Yoko” compuesta por John Lennon en 1971, no es solo un homenaje a Yoko Ono (nacida en 1933) y su colaboración creativa con Lennon (1940-1980), sino un collage psicodélico de imaginería de la cultura popular. Tanaami es uno de los artistas pop más renombrados del Japón de la p
En este video, Tanaami plasma momentos clave de la relación amorosa y el activismo de Ono y Lennon, incluidas sus “encamadas” de una semana por la paz mundial y su célebre desnudo para el álbum Two Virgins. El video complementa el animado arreglo musical de Lennon haciendo referencia a la discografía de los Beatles con submarinos amarillos y fresas, e incorpora símbolos de la cultura estadounidense como hamburguesas, motocicletas y Elvis Presley. Cuando Ono conoció a Lennon en 1966, ya era una artista conceptual y performática en ascenso. En reconocimiento de su perdurable impacto, el Museo de Arte Moderno honró recientemente a Ono con una retrospectiva de su obra.
Credit Line
National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution
Date
1973
Object number
NPG.2015.24
Restrictions & Rights
Usage conditions apply
Copyright
© 1973, Keiichi Tanaami
Type
Time-Based Media
Medium
16mm film (color, sound); transferred to digital
Dimensions
Duration: 4:24 min.
See more items in
National Portrait Gallery Collection
Location
Currently not on view
Data Source
National Portrait Gallery
Topic
Cartoon
Animation
Yoko Ono: Female
Yoko Ono: Arts and Culture\Performing Arts\Music\Musician\Composer
Yoko Ono: Arts and Culture\Performing Arts\Music\Musician\Singer
Yoko Ono: Arts and Culture\Performing Arts\Film\Filmmaker\Experimental filmmaker
Yoko Ono: Arts and Culture\Visual Arts\Artist\Conceptual artist
Yoko Ono: Social Welfare and Reform\Reformer\Social reformer\Peace activist
John Lennon: Male
John Lennon: Arts and Culture\Performing Arts\Music\Musician\Songwriter
John Lennon: Arts and Culture\Performing Arts\Music\Musician\Guitarist
John Lennon: Arts and Culture\Performing Arts\Music\Musician\Singer\Rock singer
John Lennon: Performing arts awards\Academy Award
Portrait
Link to Original Record
Record ID
npg_NPG.2015.24