My theme for the Blogging from A to Z challenge is Creativity. Today I want to spotlight Yoko Ono. She’s always been a controversial person with her politics, lifestyle, and art. Personally, I don’t have strong feelings either way about her and her work. But I do think she’s truly followed her own path in life and creatively expresses herself with her heart and soul.
Here are some highlights from her career as a poet, artist, and film maker:
* Her 1961 “Smoke Painting” was a suspended piece of canvas accompanied by this note: “Light canvas or any finished painting with a cigarette at any time for any length of time. See the smoke movement. The painting ends when the whole canvas is gone.”
* In 1964, she staged her “cut piece” where the audience participated by cutting off pieces of her clothing until she was naked. This was Ono’s commentary on ridding oneself of materialism.
* In the mid-1960s, she collaborated with Anthony Cox, a film producer, art promoter, and Ono’s first husband, in the film Bottoms, which showed close-ups of nude rear ends. The film was banned by the British Board of Film Censors.
* Ono and John Lennon held a “bed-in” during their honeymoon in 1969 to promote world peace. They invited various members of the press into their hotel room to ask questions.
After Lennon’s death, Ono continued her art and music career. She recorded albums, composed two off-Broadway musicals, and in 2002, saw a collection of her artwork exhibited in New York City, her first retrospective in the United States.
Visit this site for many more details, including pictures, of her life and art.
I believe Yoko Ono was, and is, an artist who “thinks outside the box” like no other!
What do you think of Yoko Ono and her work?
Linda Covella, Author 
You forgot to mention that she broke up the Beatles. 🙂 Kidding. They were very big on world peace – an admirable attitude. She was in a different place as an artist — thinking outside the box, yeah, and very much so, as well as mentally, spiritually. I think all great artists climb mental heights that make them appear different, maybe even peculiar. Very forward thinking artist, for sure.
Silvia, yeah, well there is that (the Beatles) 🙂 Hey one more day! This has to be one of the fastest and longest months I’ve ever spent!! LOL
Hi Linda, How cool is this? You have managed to write the full alphabet. I admire this. That is alot of writting. I think I would like to do this too. I have liked Yoko and have disliked her too. I think she is a very smart artistic and creative inventor of ideas, this I like about her, and not being worried about what others might think of her. She in the long run made a fortune for the family as she bought a Bull which sold for huge money, and was the beginning of her own fortune aside from what John did. I didn’t like the use of heavy drugs that they both took part in, it seemed a cop-out to be high on Heroine, and be so freely richly making such a big impact on the music and art scene. I always wondered what happened to her first child that had been taken by her first husband and hidden. But I loved the last album they made together, when they had gotten back together and were raising Julian. She has certainly been a high performance artist, and successful woman beyond her husband John, and with him too. A woman of strength. Thanks Linda, tomorrow is Z…your last a-Z entry! what will it be?
Ms. ebfiddler Elicia, thanks for stopping by and for your comment. Tomorrow? You’ll see. 🙂 This has been fun and you should do it next year. The challenge is every April. Check the link at the beginning of each of my blogs for more info. See you Friday for the Boulder Creek First Night!
Your wordpress link didn’t work. Is your blog up yet?
I’m too traditionalist to get what she was going for, but she was original.
Visiting from AtoZ
Katherine Walcott
http://rodneyssaga.com/
Katherine, I hear you. I just admire her originality and willingness to pursue new, unusual things. Thanks for stopping by! I checked out your blog and your “Y” post on the publishing industry was super informative!
Thank you. Maggie is quite the renaissance woman.
I don’t really know much about Yoko Ono aside from her marrying John Lennon. When I do hear stuff, like this post, she sounds like an interesting woman.
~Patricia Lynne~
Story Dam
Patricia Lynne, YA Author
Patricia, she’s definitely her own person!
Nearly there it’s been a great tour, time for a bit of a rest I think.
Rosie, and time to get caught up on other things!