Go (Tsuyoshi) Yayanagi - 愛の動物誌[D] (Fauna of Love: D)

Go Yayanagi’s 1972 silkscreen 愛の動物誌 [D] (Fauna of Love: D) places a gleaming globe centre-stage, flanked by playful amphibians and abstract swoops of tropical colour. A grinning crocodile and a wide-eyed frog peer from zebra-striped foreground panels, while geometric cut-outs and late-’60s pop motifs ripple behind - a lighthearted tableau that hints at ecological wonder (or warning) beneath its cheerful veneer. 🐊🌎🐸✨

• Year & Edition: 1972 · Fauna of Love [D] · Ed. 25/50 (signed & dated in pencil).
• Series: Fauna of Love (愛の動物誌) - an alphabetic picture-poem suite issued 1971-74 in two instalments: A–K (1971–72) and L–U (1973), followed by a BAO triptych in 1974; limited to fifty portfolios. Conceived soon after Yayanagi’s return to Japan, the series explores “the universal commonalities of life and love shared by humankind and nature” through witty animal imagery, collage, and late-’60s/early-’70s pop motifs, inaugurating his signature Pop-Uki silkscreen idiom.
• Medium: Silkscreen.
• Dimensions: Sheet H: 79.50 cm × W: 55.00 cm.
• Condition: Good; colours remain vibrant, paper clean - no foxing. Small indentation within the central globe segment. Well stored over the years.
• Notes: A charming amphibian-centric scene, its smiling creatures and zebra patterns hint at Yayanagi’s playful exploration of nature’s joy - and perhaps a subtle commentary on aquatic pollution. Exemplifies his blend of black-and-white collage, sensual human forms and Pop-Uki dynamism. A pivotal stepping-stone toward later cycles like Tale of Genji, The Kojiki, The Earth… and Now, Men & Women and The Flying Pencils. Ideal for collectors of Pop Art, Japanese printmaking and cross-species visual poetry. 👁️✨.