篠原有司画　「花魁」|Three Oiran (Courtesans)

Shinohara Ushio

1969 · Triptych of color screen prints on paper; artist's proof · Asian Art

Shinohara made Three Oiran following a trip to New York from Tokyo on a grant from the John D. RockefellerFoundation. It relates to Doll Festival (1966), on display nearby, in that the artist depicted oiran (high-ranking courtesans), a popular theme from ukiyo-e woodblock prints. Here Shinohara presents oiran in three deconstructed forms in striking colors, but all that remains of the figure at far left is a mirror reflection and patterns that allude to a kimono. Three Oiran is representative of Shinohara’s early work, made when he was drawing inspiration from traditional Japanese visual sources to create imagery aligned with the Pop art movement.

Artist

Shinohara Ushio

Date

1969

Medium

Triptych of color screen prints on paper; artist's proof

Culture

Japan

Department

Asian Art

Credit line

Bequest of William S. Lieberman, 2005