Yoko Ono Cut Piece Analysis

This writing considers the question of Yoko Ono’s “Cut Piece,” which is one of the most important works of that artist’s career and of its period. The essay specifically investigates the critical question of what one can learn from “Cut Piece” about the role of women in society at large. It seeks in investigating this question to uncover trends over time, seeing how the role of women has changed over time and how the role of women has been depicted in art. There will be three primary sections to the body of this work that will help to provide a clear picture of the overall meaning of this piece of art in conjunction with feminism and the role of women (Johnson). First, there will be an investigation of the piece itself to ensure a proper understanding of what is actually being studied. The paper will investigate what “Cut Piece” was, how it happened, what the audience did when it happened, and what its overall impact was in the context of the time it was performed. From there, the …show more content…
She was completely vulnerable, and she was holding a pair of scissors. The audience suspected that she might be about to cut something off of herself, and they were close to right. They responded with shock as she asked them to participate in the performance. Audience members were invited onto the stage, where they were directed to take the scissors from Ono and actually cut off pieces of her fine suit. Many audience members were timid and did not want to do this. After all, something felt wrong about going onto the stage and destroying a fine piece of clothing for seemingly no reason. Many audience members were confused at the request, and they did not expect to be so intimately involved in the performance. There was an air of unbelievability to the entire ordeal, and this helped to drive the action forward, though it is surely clear that Ono had a point to make with this