Yoko Ono celebrates her birthday today (February 18), and while many remember her for being the wife of the late John Lennon, Ono is a revered performance artist in her own right. In honor of Ono’s birthday, here are three very different (and very unique) performance art pieces from her.
“Cut Piece”
This is one of Ono’s most notable performances form 1965 where she sat on stage in a black dress with a pair of scissors and invited members of the audience to cut off parts of her dress.
Yoko Ono "Cut Piece" Performance Art
This video is solely for academic assessment purposes - specifically Monash University's JRN2201 Online Journalism unit, Semester 1 (2010). I put together th...
“Voice Piece For Soprano & Wish Tree”
Here Ono is in 2010 at an exhibit at New York City’s Museum of Modern Art.
“Sky Piece To Jesus Christ”
Lastly, here’s Ono at the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art in 2013 doing an “Action Piece” painting. (Around the 7:35 mark.)
GALLERY: John Lennon and Yoko Ono Through the Years
Yoko and John
ShareJapanese multimedia artist, singer, songwriter, and peace activist Yoko Ono with her husband, English singer, songwriter, and peace activist who co-founded the Beatles John Lennon (1940 - 1980) in Paris for their honeymoon, France, 23rd March 1969. (Photo by Reg Lancaster/Daily Express/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
John’s Joke Art
ShareBeatles singer, songwriter and guitarist John Lennon (1940 - 1980) and his wife, artist Yoko Ono, at the opening of John's 'Joke Art' exhibition, UK, 1st July 21968. (Photo by Ballard/Daily Express/Getty Images)
John And Yoko
ShareSinger and songwriter John Lennon (1940 - 1980), formerly of English rock band the Beatles, and his wife Yoko Ono share a bag labelled 'Bagism' before their appearance on the 'Today' programme with Eamonn Andrews, UK, April 1969. (Photo by Bob Aylott/Keystone/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
John And Yoko
ShareSinger and songwriter John Lennon (1940 - 1980) of English rock band the Beatles and his wife Yoko Ono holding acorns during a press conference at Heathrow Airport in London, 1st April 1969. They have just arrived from Austria, and are going to send the acorns to world leaders as a symbol of peace. (Photo by Dennis Oulds/Central Press/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
The Magic Christian Premiere
ShareMusicians John Lennon and Yoko Ono carrying a 'Britain Murdered Hanratty' sign at the premiere of the film 'The Magic Christian' at the Odeon Kensington, London, 11th December 1969. (Photo by Pierre Manevy/Express/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
John And Yoko
ShareSinger and songwriter John Lennon (1940 - 1980) and his wife Yoko Ono arrive at London Airport from New York, 14th July 1971. (Photo by R. Brigden/Daily Express/Getty Images)
John And Yoko
ShareJapanese-born artist Yoko Ono and her husband, singer and songwriter John Lennon (1940 - 1980) at Selfridges department store in London to autograph copies of Ono's new book 'Grapefruit', 15th July 1971. (Photo by Central Press/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
John And Yoko
ShareJohn Lennon (1940 - 1980) with Yoko Ono, December 1968. (Photo by Keystone/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
John, Yoko And Balloons
ShareBeatle John Lennon (1940 - 1980) and his girlfriend Yoko Ono outside the Robert Fraser Gallery, where Lennon's work is on show at the gallery in an exhibition entitled 'You Are Here', London, July 1968. Lennon is about to release 365 helium-filled balloons to mark the occasion. (Photo by Keystone Features/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
John, Julian and Yoko
ShareJohn Lennon (1940 - 1980), his son Julian and Yoko Ono pose for photographers at Internel Studios in Stonebridge Park, Wembley, during a rehearsal for the Rolling Stones' 'Rock and Roll Circus' TV special, London, 10th December 1968. (Photo by Daily Express/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
Bed-In For Peace
ShareBeatle John Lennon (1940 1980) and his wife of a week Yoko Ono in their bed in the Presidential Suite of the Hilton Hotel, Amsterdam, 25th March 1969. The couple are staging a 'bed-in for peace' and intend to stay in bed for seven days 'as a protest against war and violence in the world'. (Photo by Keystone/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
Beatles Bride And Groom
ShareJohn Lennon and Yoko Ono, both dressed in white, board a private aircraft in Gibraltar after their wedding, 20th March 1969. Their pilot Trevor Copleston stands by the plane. (Photo by Simpson/Express/Getty Images)
Lennon’s Certificate
ShareJohn Lennon and Yoko Ono, both dressed in white, with their marriage certificate after their wedding in Gibraltar, 20th March 1969. (Photo by Simpson/Express/Getty Images)
John And Yoko Circus Costume
ShareBeatles singer and songwriter John Lennon with his wife Yoko Ono on the set of the TV special 'Rolling Stones Rock n Roll Circus' at Internel Studios in Stonebridge Park, Wembley, London, December 1968. (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
Mr And Mrs Lennon
ShareJohn Lennon and Yoko Ono, both dressed in white, with their marriage certificate after their wedding in Gibraltar, 20th March 1969. (Photo by Simpson/Express/Getty Images)
Lennon And Ono
Share1969: John Lennon (1940 -1980), singer, songwriter and guitarist of British pop group The Beatles, with his wife Yoko Ono listening to the playback of one of their tapes. (Photo by Keystone Features/Getty Images)
John And Yoko
Share17th May 1971: Ex-Beatle John Lennon (1940 - 1980) and his wife Yoko Ono stroll in the sunshine at Cannes. (Photo by Keystone/Getty Images)
Rock ‘N’ Roll Circus
ShareL-R: Rolling Stones guitarist Brian Jones, artist Yoko Ono and her husband, Beatles guitarist John Lennon, with his son Julian on his lap, guitarist Eric Clapton, and behind them singer Roger Daltrey of The Who, gather at Internel Studios in Stonebridge Park, Wembley, where they watched some of the circus acts who will appear in a television spectacular planned by the Rolling Stones, 'The Rolling Stones' Rock 'n' Roll Circus,' England, December 10, 1968. (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
Bed Peace
Share25th March 1969: Beatles singer, songwriter and guitarist John Lennon and his wife of a week Yoko Ono receive the press at their bedside in the Presidential Suite of the Hilton Hotel, Amsterdam. The couple stayed in bed for seven days 'as a protest against war and violence in the world'. (Photo by Central Press/Getty Images)
John’s Joke Art
Share1st July 1968: Beatles singer, songwriter and guitarist John Lennon (1940 - 1980) and his wife, artist Yoko Ono, at the opening of John's 'Joke Art' exhibition. (Photo by Ballard/Express/Getty Images)
Bed Protest
Share25th March 1969: John Lennon (1940 - 1980), singer, songwriter and guitarist with the Beatles, in bed in the Presidential Suite of the Hilton Hotel in Amsterdam with his wife, artist Yoko Ono. The couple stayed in bed for seven days as 'a protest against war and violence in the World'. (Photo by Central Press/Getty Images)
Carrying Yoko
Share1970: British pop singer, songwriter and guitarist John Lennon (1940 - 1980) carries his wife, artist Yoko Ono, across the snow in North Jutland, Denmark, where they are visiting Yoko's daughter by her previous marriage, Kyoko, who lives with Yoko's former husband Anthony Cox and his wife Belinda. (Photo by Keystone/Getty Images)
Shorn Lennons
Share24th January 1970: Beatle John Lennon (1940 - 1980) and his wife, artist Yoko Ono, seen with their newly shorn hair, at the Centre Of Peace in Vust, North Jutland, where John, Yoko and friends are living in meditation. (Photo by Anthony Cox/Keystone/Getty Images)
Lennons In White
Share2nd April 1969: Singer and songwriter John Lennon (1940 - 1980) and his wife artist Yoko Ono, both dressed in white at London Airport. (Photo by Evening Standard/Getty Images)
John Lennon
ShareJanuary 1970: John Lennon (1940 - 1980) with his wife Yoko Ono the first time he was photographed with short hair since his hippy days. (Photo by Anthony Cox/Keystone/Getty Images)
John And Yoko
Share1969: John Lennon (1940 - 1980) and his wife Yoko Ono arrive at London Airport. They were married secretly in Gibraltar on 25th April. (Photo by Evening Standard/Getty Images)
John And Yoko
Sharecirca 1970: John Lennon (1940 - 1980) with his wife Yoko Ono. (Photo by Keystone/Getty Images)
Lennon & Ono
Share31st March 1971: Rock singer songwriter John Lennon (1940 - 1980) and his wife, artist Yoko Ono at a gallery party. (Photo by Evening Standard/Getty Images)
Lennon On The Phone
Share25th November 1969: Singer-songwriter John Lennon (1940 - 1980) on the telephone during the press conference held after he returned his MBE to the Queen in protest against the war in Biafra, the British support of the American action in Vietnam, and, he quipped, his latest single dropping in the charts! Beside him is his Japanese born wife, artist Yoko Ono. (Photo by Joe Bangay/Express/Getty Images)
Gallery Party
Share31st March 1971: British rock star John Lennon (1940 - 1980) with his wife Yoko Ono at the E.M. Gallery party. (Photo by Evening Standard/Getty Images)
John And Yoko
Share1969: John Lennon (1940 - 1980) with his wife, Yoko Ono and James Hanratty Senior at a protest meeting against the controversial execution of Hanratty's son for the A6 murder of Michael John Gregsten. Posters on the walls read 'Britain Murdered Hanratty'. (Photo by Express/Express/Getty Images)
Shorn Lennon
Share4th February 1970: John Lennon (1940 - 1980) and Yoko Ono in London after having their hair cut. The hair was given to the Black Power leader Michael X in exchange for a pair of Muhammad Ali's shorts. Both the hair and the shorts will be auctioned for charity. (Photo by Central Press/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
John And Yoko
Share1969: John Lennon (1940 - 1980) and Yoko Ono pictured during filming of the promotional film for 'The Ballad of John and Yoko'. (Photo by Fox Photos/Getty Images)
John, Yoko And Kyoko
Share1st May 1969: John Lennon (1940 - 1980), former member of The Beatles, with his wife, Yoko Ono, and her daughter Kyoko (from her first marriage to Anthony Cox) at London Airport, where they are leaving for the Bahamas. (Photo by Keystone/Getty Images)
Laughing Lennon
Share14th May 1971: Beatles singer, songwriter and guitarist John Lennon (1940 - 1980) with his wife, artist Yoko Ono, at London Airport. (Photo by George Stroud/Express/Getty Images)
Beatle In Bed
ShareRock 'n' roll singer, songwriter and guitarist John Lennon (1940 - 1980) of The Beatles with his wife of a week, artist Yoko Ono, in bed in the presidential suite of the Hilton Hotel in Amsterdam during their honeymoon, 25th March 1969. They plan to stay in bed for seven days as a protest against war and violence. (Photo by Central Press/Getty Images)
In Bed With Eamonn
ShareTelevision presenter Eamonn Andrews in bed in a London TV studio, while John Lennon and Yoko Ono sit in front of him. Lennon and his wife have been staging a protest for world peace which will feature on a television show presented by Andrews. (Photo by Bob Aylott/Getty Images)
Lennons In Paris
ShareJohn Lennon of The Beatles with his partner, artist Yoko Ono, on a visit to Paris following their recent wedding. (Photo by Central Press/Getty Images)
Bagism
ShareJohn Lennon (1940 - 1980) and his wife, Japanese born artist Yoko Ono, sit in a bag before appearing on the 'Today' programme with Eamonn Andrews (1922 - 1987), seen in bed in the background. (Photo by Bob Aylott/Getty Images)
War Is Over
ShareJohn Lennon (1940 - 1980) and Yoko Ono pose on the steps of the Apple building in London, holding one of the posters that they distributed to the world's major cities as part of a peace campaign protesting against the Vietnam War. 'War Is Over, If You Want It'. (Photo by Frank Barrett/Keystone/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
John, Yoko & Kyoko
ShareBeatles singer, songwriter and guitarist John Lennon with his wife Yoko Ono at London's Heathrow airport before flying to the Bahamas to stage a seven day 'Bed In For Peace' protest. With them is Kyoko, Yoko's daughter by her previous marriage, who Lennon is carrying. (Photo by Central Press/Getty Images)
