Yoko Ono "Invisible Flower"
- GALLERY
In 1952, 19-year-old Yoko Ono filled folded stationery with numerous drawings and writings. Under the full supervision of Sean Ono Lennon, 38 prints from this previously unpublished series were faithfully reproduced, down to their texture and size, using the latest digital attoprint technology, "Solegraph," developed by Yamada Photoengraving. Newly rearranged by Yoko and Sean, they were compiled into a box set as a sequence imbued with a gentle narrative. Yoko's fresh sensibility is vividly reflected, and at the same time, as evidenced by the solitary "yes." written in the center of the image and the phrase "Smelty John" (John who smells), which appears about 10 years before she met John Lennon, it seems as though they foreshadow the practices she would later engage in, and even the development of her life. This is a valuable document in the context of art history, vividly imprinting the unknown origins of Yoko Ono (it differs significantly from the regular book version published at the same time in terms of reproduction accuracy).
My mother was born after World War I and spent World War II as a hungry child. So much was lost. The remaining things hung amongst the piles of old belongings. My eyes were drawn to an "invisible flower" that protruded as if an old book had a mouth and a tongue sticking out from it. I was astonished when I read "Smelly John." I couldn't believe that my mother had written it before she met my father. Time warped in my mind. Could "Smelly John" be my father? That couldn't be. Had my father secretly sneaked into the world of my mother's book while she was distracted? I was engrossed in the story. I had long dreamed of publishing a book. I was convinced that this book was the perfect first publication from Chimera Library. My mother's lost work would be revived. It was wonderful. I supervised the reproduction of every page of this work. Of course, that was only natural. During this process, I felt the presence of my father, who was my mother's biggest fan. I sincerely wish I could have done this kind of work with my father. I wonder how happy he would have been.
Sean Ono Lennon
"Invisible Flower" ©Yoko Ono
My mother was born after World War I and spent World War II as a hungry child. So much was lost. The remaining things hung amongst the piles of old belongings. My eyes were drawn to an "invisible flower" that protruded as if an old book had a mouth and a tongue sticking out from it. I was astonished when I read "Smelly John." I couldn't believe that my mother had written it before she met my father. Time warped in my mind. Could "Smelly John" be my father? That couldn't be. Had my father secretly sneaked into the world of my mother's book while she was distracted? I was engrossed in the story. I had long dreamed of publishing a book. I was convinced that this book was the perfect first publication from Chimera Library. My mother's lost work would be revived. It was wonderful. I supervised the reproduction of every page of this work. Of course, that was only natural. During this process, I felt the presence of my father, who was my mother's biggest fan. I sincerely wish I could have done this kind of work with my father. I wonder how happy he would have been.
Sean Ono Lennon
"Invisible Flower" ©Yoko Ono
