nobutohIn Memoriam: Yoshito Ohno
In a wide crouch, both hands raised like claws, the face turned up, in a lace and silk costume strung with dried roses, on a bare stage before a concrete wall.

03 of 03

Masculinity

Masculinity is the dark side of femininity.

A second take of the crouch, both hands raised, the head tipped back, roses on the black lace.
02

Hands, for what they remember of grabbing.

Curled on one side on the stage floor, hands drawn to the chest, the face toward the lens.03
Propped on one arm on the stage, the legs trailing behind, the head raised.04
Reclining on the stage with one hand planted beside the roses, the head resting back.05
Crawling forward across wooden boards, eyes wide, the hands spread.06

Crawling as if the floor were still warm.

Arched in a backbend over bare earth, the face upside down toward the lens, one hand and one foot planted, dried roses on the black lace.
07

Arching until the ceiling becomes the floor.

Folded at the hips with the bare back toward the lens, one arm sweeping out, the face in profile.
08

The back is turned to the audience, as a gift.

Standing on one leg, the skirt flaring behind, one arm thrown straight up.
09

One leaf, still holding on.

Leaning into a wide stance, one arm arched overhead and the other trailing low.10
Bent at the waist toward one side with one arm arched overhead and one hand open.11

Leaning into a wind that nobody else can feel.

Standing with the head tipped back and the eyes closed, one arm arched overhead and the other hand open in front of the face, in black lace strung with dried roses.12
Standing with the eyes closed, one arm arched high overhead and the other stretched across the body, hand open, in black lace strung with dried roses.13

Reaching for the rafters with the whole arm, then with the hand.

Standing still, arms at the sides, looking straight into the lens.The same stance with the eyes closed and the palms turning outward.Chin lifted, eyes raised, the hands open at the sides.The arms held wide of the body, the eyes lifted.Both arms raised high overhead, the face tipped up.

A film

In memory of Kazuo Ohno, to a song by Antony and the Johnsons.

The Spirit Was Gone

Kazuo Ohno in memoriam, dancing with his son Yoshito. Footage from Just Visiting This Planet, cut by Peter Sempel to a song by Antony and the Johnsons in Hamburg, June 2010.

Original on YouTube, uploaded by ANOHNI.

All 18 photographs

  1. In a wide crouch, both hands raised like claws, the face turned up, in a lace and silk costume strung with dried roses, on a bare stage before a concrete wall.01
  2. A second take of the crouch, both hands raised, the head tipped back, roses on the black lace.02
  3. Curled on one side on the stage floor, hands drawn to the chest, the face toward the lens.03
  4. Propped on one arm on the stage, the legs trailing behind, the head raised.04
  5. Reclining on the stage with one hand planted beside the roses, the head resting back.05
  6. Crawling forward across wooden boards, eyes wide, the hands spread.06
  7. Arched in a backbend over bare earth, the face upside down toward the lens, one hand and one foot planted, dried roses on the black lace.07
  8. Folded at the hips with the bare back toward the lens, one arm sweeping out, the face in profile.08
  9. Standing on one leg, the skirt flaring behind, one arm thrown straight up.09
  10. Leaning into a wide stance, one arm arched overhead and the other trailing low.10
  11. Bent at the waist toward one side with one arm arched overhead and one hand open.11
  12. Standing with the head tipped back and the eyes closed, one arm arched overhead and the other hand open in front of the face, in black lace strung with dried roses.12
  13. Standing with the eyes closed, one arm arched high overhead and the other stretched across the body, hand open, in black lace strung with dried roses.13
  14. Standing still, arms at the sides, looking straight into the lens.14
  15. The same stance with the eyes closed and the palms turning outward.15
  16. Chin lifted, eyes raised, the hands open at the sides.16
  17. The arms held wide of the body, the eyes lifted.17
  18. Both arms raised high overhead, the face tipped up.18
Photographer
anonymous
Art director
anonymous
Video
not available

Behind all three performances is Yoshito Ohno, and behind him his father Kazuo.

After the three performancesWhere this comes from