John Lennon called her "the most famous of unknown artists," fans of The Beatles claimed that she ruined the band, and Andy Warhol considered her banal - all this about one of the most famous avant-garde artists Yoko Ono. During her 60-year career, she went from an unknown artist to an icon of conceptualism. The debate about her works' artistic value and influence on American avant-gardism continues to this day.
Youth and first steps in the art world
The future artist was born in the family of a Japanese banker on January 18, 1933. Her father worked in San Francisco, so Yoko and her mother moved to the United States from time to time and then returned. At age 20, she entered Sarah Lawrence College, where she studied literature and music for the next few years. At the age of 23, Yoko marries musician Toshi Ichiyanagi, through whose connections she is introduced to the American avant-garde. Unfortunately, her bizarre performances do not meet understanding among people of art, but Yoko is not sad. The creative failures of the following years harmed her mental health. This was the reason for her forced return to Japan in 1962 and subsequent stay in a psychiatric clinic. At that time, Ono still managed to gain tiny popularity and first admirers. One of them was musician Anthony Cox. To save Ono, he came to Tokyo, providing her with psychological support. After discharge, they went to New York and got married. The new husband became the artist's producer, and from that moment, her career began to go up.
Acquaintance with John Lennon
Being inconsistent and impulsive, Ono could not stay in one relationship for a long time. In 1966, she met the famous Beatle John Lennon, and they began an affair. The official story says the meeting happened during an exhibition where the artist presented one of her performances. Lennon climbed up the ladder with a magnifying glass to look at the words written there and say "Yes." At the same performance, he noticed a board and wanted to hammer a nail. The artist offered him to pay 5 shillings for the right to be the first. The parties agreed that the musician would hammer the imaginary nail and pay the imaginary shillings for it. After the first meeting, Ono stalked Lennon and even sent him a broken cup covered in red paint. This act probably made an impression on him, after which he divorced his wife and started a new relationship. Marriage for the artist became a pass to the world of American artists of the first magnitude. Since then, her work has been gaining long-awaited popularity.
Yoko Ono with John Lennon. Photos © kumparan.com
Unfortunately for Lennon, this acquaintance was not successful. Her interference in the internal affairs of The Beatles was one of the reasons for their breakup in 1970. Life with a new wife also did not bring the musician peace. In 1973, Ono separated Lennon from their assistant Mei Peng and sent them on vacation. The reason for the divorce was her unwillingness to go with her husband to the UK. Already in 1975, they got back together and lived until his murder in 1980. After her husband's death, Yoko continued her artistic career, holding exhibitions worldwide, performances, paintings, and music. In the 80s, she released the album Starpeace, the name coined in opposition to Reagan's Starwars weapons system. One of the singles, "Hell in Paradise," reached high positions in the American charts. In 2007, the album Walking on Thin Ice became very popular with club remixes of songs by Pet Shop Boys, Orange Factory, Peter Rauhofer, and Danny Tenaglia.
Creativity that does not exist
Yoko Ono fully realized in her works the central thesis of conceptualism: the idea is essential, not the result of its implementation. Sometimes she painted pictures and even wrote books, but their artistic value was always controversial. The paintings did not captivate the viewer with their technique, and the books did not have a tiny hint of narrative. A person could create all this without special education and talent. Because of this, critics did not miss the opportunity to mock Yoko liked conceptualism because it is not so important what you can do with your hands. It is unknown whether they were right, but her element in art was performances and installations. She was one of the first to appreciate their potential and began to use them to fight stereotypes of thinking. Some versions were openly provocative and scandalous, which on the one hand, made it possible to convey bold ideas to the audience, and on the other - quickly gained popularity. The real motives of the artist's activity remain unknown, so one of her books sells well 50 years after its release.
The most famous works
"The Wishing Tree"
A permanent interactive installation was presented to the public in 2007 at the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden in Washington. The artist grew a tree and invited visitors to tie pieces of paper with written wishes to the tree branches. According to the author of the installation, everything will come true, and the leaves themselves will be used in the Imagine Peace Tower project in Reykjavik. After the start of the coronavirus crisis, an online version of the installation was opened, and everyone could publish their wishes on the Internet via Instagram. After that, many photos with wishes appeared on the social network.
"The war is over (if you want it)"
The work dedicated to the anti-war theme was exhibited in Sydney in 2013. The title of the performance repeats the slogan "The war is over!" placed on billboards in different cities of the world in 1969. Old front doors were used as exhibits, symbolizing the destruction caused by the war. The anti-war orientation of the action was hinted at by chaotic graffiti on the walls, made with black paint.
"In bed for peace"
Ono and Lennon held a performance in 1969 against the war in Vietnam. In such an unusual way, the newlyweds celebrated their wedding and once again focused attention on the problems of war and peace. In technical terms, the event did not differ from other works by Yoko in particular sophistication. The newlyweds protested for seven days in Amsterdam and later repeated everything in Montreal's Queen Elizabeth Hotel.
"In bed for peace" Yoko Ono and John Lennon. Photos © zirki.info
This action and other similar efforts and protests increased public pressure on the government. As a result, in 1973, American troops returned to the United States.
"Grapefruit: a book of instructions and drawings"
One of the artist's most famous works, which later received the status of a model of conceptual art. It is a book with various instructions written in order. All phrases are devoid of practical sense and cannot be executed. The book was first published in 1964 in 500 copies, after which it was repeatedly reprinted. In 2013, a sequel entitled "Acorn" with similar content was published.
"You are here"
The first joint exhibition of Ono and Lennon took place in London in 1968. At it, 365 white balloons were released into the sky. At the moment of launching, Lennon said the phrase: "I declare these balloons high." Empty labels with the gallery's name were attached to them, on which, according to the organizers, Londoners were supposed to write messages and bring them back to the gallery. Instead, they received a badge and a letter from Lennon with the following statement: "Dear friend, thank you for writing and sending me my balloon. I am sending you a pin to remind you that you are here. Love, John Lennon". Most of the responses were friendly, but there were also messages of an offensive nature.
"Light: light a match and watch it go out"
One of the first documented performances of the avant-garde artist took place in 1955. Its essence was simple: She lit a match and then watched it burn until it went out. The event's meaning was to demonstrate to the audience new facets of art beyond classical ideas about the forms and types of creativity. The performance was held when the artist's name was unknown to a broad audience, so it did not cause a remarkable public response. The simplicity of the action was later used as an argument for criticism.
"Bag Piece"
Another notable performance was held in 1964. Visitors to the gallery were offered to hide in a large black bag with another person for a few minutes, during which they could do whatever they wanted. The organizers did not impose any requirements on visitors by age, gender, or skin color.
"Bag Piece" Yoko Ono. Photos © pinterest.com
In this way, Ono sought to demonstrate the importance of rejecting chauvinistic and racist views of humanity.
Life is a movement
In February 2021, the artist turned 88 years old. Despite her advanced age, she radiates confidence and a desire to create. In the ninth decade of her life, the artist continues to lead an active life and develop in her style. At the beginning of 2021, the American magazine Rolling Stones announced the launch of a new music channel by Yoko Ono and Jenna Hendrix. On it, music lovers can see rare recordings of concerts and documentaries, exciting premieres and other events from the music world. Almost 60 years have passed since the first known performance, but critics still cannot agree on whether it can be called art.
KyivGallery art critic