“Cut Piece,” created by Yoko Ono in 1964, stands as a seminal work within the movements of Conceptual Art and Feminist Art. The performance genre encapsulates Ono’s audacious approach to both art-making and social commentary.
The artwork in question features the artist, Yoko Ono, seated calmly while audience members are invited to cut away pieces of her clothing with scissors. This radical performance challenges the boundaries of the artist-audience relationship and confronts themes of vulnerability, objectification, and violence, effectively provoking thought and dialogue on issues of gender and power. The sparse, black-and-white composition of the photograph emphasizes the stark and poignant nature of the act, while also evoking a sense of solemnity and intensity.
