“Yoko Ono is the world’s most famous unknown artist—everyone knows her name, but no one knows what she does,” John Lennon once remarked, encapsulating the seeming underappreciation of his wife. Ono, who celebrates her 91st birthday this Sunday, has often been a figure whose fame surpasses recognition for her artistic endeavors.
Starting Thursday, Ono’s influence on conceptual art will be showcased in a retrospective exhibition at the Tate Modern in London.
Running until September 1, the “Music of the Mind” exhibition delves into the diverse works of a woman often recognized more as the spouse of the slain Beatle than as a pioneer of conceptual art.
Andrew de Brun, one of the curators of the exhibition, expressed, “This showcase truly honors Yoko as an artist. While John Lennon was undoubtedly a significant collaborator for her, we are thrilled to highlight her artistic contributions.”
Spanning seven decades, the exhibition offers an in-depth exploration of Ono’s artistic legacy, featuring 200 pieces that include installations, objects, videos, photographs, sculptures, and documents detailing her performances and musical compositions.
“We acknowledge Yoko Ono’s profound significance in contemporary art and culture,” remarked de Brun regarding the retrospective, which the curators assert is the most comprehensive ever conducted in Britain on Ono.
“By showcasing a selection of her works, we aim to underscore the substantial influence she wields. We are delighted to introduce her art to new generations of visitors, highlighting her activism and her advocacy for peace,” added the curator.
Since her early exhibitions in New York during the 1950s, Ono has championed conceptualism—a movement in art that emphasizes the concept or idea behind an artwork over its physical manifestation.
The exhibition delves into some of the artist’s most contentious works and performances, including the video of “Cut Piece,” a piece she initially showcased in Japan and later in 1965 at Carnegie Recital Hall in New York.
During the performance, Ono appeared on stage in a black dress with scissors placed beside her, inviting the audience to cut off pieces of her clothing—an act designed to spotlight the violence inflicted upon women by society.
The exhibition serves as a validation of the artist’s monumental journey, following decades of being scapegoated by some for the dissolution of The Beatles in 1970.
Encountering John Lennon
Ono’s conceptual art installations at London’s Indica Gallery in 1967 captured Lennon’s attention.
During this exhibition, a piece titled “Ceiling Painting” invited visitors to ascend a ladder and peer through a magnifying glass to see the word “yes” inscribed on the ceiling.
Lennon ascended the ladder and was mesmerized by the artwork, which is currently on display in London. Reflecting on the event, Ono recalled in her text “Some Notes on the Lisson Gallery Show” how a person once approached her during the exhibition of “Hammer A Nail painting” at Indica Gallery, asking if it was permissible to hammer a nail into the painting.
In response, Ono stated that it was acceptable if the individual paid five shillings.
“Instead of paying five shillings, he inquired if it was permissible for him to hammer an imaginary nail in. That person was none other than John Lennon.”
Ono and Lennon tied the knot in 1969 and remained together until his tragic murder in New York in 1980, when he was just 40 years old.
During their 13-year union, the couple produced six albums and engaged in experimental music recordings, short films, performances, and installations.
Together with Lennon, the Tokyo-born artist garnered recognition in the realm of music, a theme that the London exhibition also delves into.
Their joint release in 1980, “Double Fantasy,” recorded prior to Lennon’s untimely passing, earned them the Grammy Award for Album of the Year.
Reflecting on her connection to music, Ono expressed in a 2013 interview, “When I hear music, my body just starts to move. That’s just me. That’s just my body. And I was like that as a child, too.”
