She was blamed for breaking up The Beatles, then the world mourned with her whenJohn Lennon was killed. Now, at 84, Yoko Ono is finally being recognised for her artistic legacy— with a little help from her son, Sean.
SEAN LENNON is talking about his mother’s child-rearing philosophy. “She had a very sort of postmodern, posthippie, post-feminist way of thinking,” he says of Yoko Ono. “It was very liberal, and she always treated me like an individual. She never really told me not to do anything, except get a Mohawk or a tattoo. So there were very few boundaries. She believed that kids are individuals and shouldn’t be treated like a subservient class.”
At 84, Ono—singer, artist, activist, and guardian of the legacy of her late husband (and Sean’s father) John Lennon—is enjoying a remarkable latecareer reappraisal. The Ono oeuvre, once maligned as a conglomeration of unbearable neo-Dadaist pranks and unlistenable music, is now considered haute. Her conceptual-art projects—films, installations, happenings, and performance pieces, such as her 1964 work Cut Piece, in which she invited viewers to cut off swathes of her clothing with a pair of scissors—today are seen as groundbreaking. Her albums and recordings, which mostly eschewed melody and traditional song structure, are held up as revolutionary. Even her clipped aphoristic “instructions”, famously compiled in books like her seminal Grapefruit (1964), have been heralded as presciently tweet-like. And two years ago, New York’s Museum of Modern Art explored some of Ono’s early efforts in the exhibition One Woman Show, 1960–1971. (Back in 1971, the only way she could get an exhibition at MoMA was to invent a fake one, along with a fake ad campaign, that she publicised in local papers featuring an image of her standing in front of the building holding an oversize ‘F’. The fictional show was called the Museum of Modern [F]art.)
Denne historien er fra September 2017-utgaven av Harper's Bazaar India.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra September 2017-utgaven av Harper's Bazaar India.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Unyielding And Unmatched
In an industry where every move is scrutinised, Kareena Kapoor Khan lives passionately, loves her job, and understands that there’s more to her than just box-office numbers.
SEEN AND HEARD
Female authors explore how crucial it is that women write about their personal experiences.
INTO THE WORLD OF JUDY CHICAGO
What makes the feminist trailblazer an icon?
'THE LEGACY OF A SINGER WILL ALWAYS STAY INTACT'
AR Rahman believes AI can be used without compromising on the artistic essence.
THROUGH HER EYES
Indian supermodels remember legendary photographer Prabuddha Dasgupta ahead of his 68th birth anniversary.
THE SHAPE-SHIFTERS
From adorning your body to your mantle piece, jewellery designers are turning to homeware.
WEARABLE ART
Three limited-edition timepieces, inspired by Gaston-Louis Vuitton's love for artistry, is an ode to the Maison's legacy of craftsmanship.
AS LONG AS TIME
Bazaar India delves into the ethos of watch brands.
MILANO MAKEOVER
Sabato De Sarno's reimagination of this classic Gucci bag is is an ode to his Milanese becoming.
A LOVE LETTER TO JAIPUR
Designer Surily Goel reveals the making of her latest collection.