The Art of John and Yoko

Vancouver Art Gallery, October 9 - May 1, 2022

The Vancouver Art Gallery is showing a number of artifacts (photos, videos, replicas of posters) to tell the story of several of John and Yoko's performance art pieces such as "War is over - if you want it" and "Bed-ins for peace" from 1969. In March 1969, John and Yoko used the publicity generated by their marriage to stage a reality-TV show to protest the Vietnam war and advocate for peace; inviting press into their suite in the Amsterdam Hilton from 9am to 9pm. Following the event, when asked if he thought the bed-in had been successful, Lennon became rather frustrated. He insisted that the failure of the press to take the couple seriously was part of what he and Ono wanted: "It's part of our policy not to be taken seriously. Our opposition, whoever they may be, in all manifest forms, don't know how to handle humour. And we are humorous."[6] [Wikipedia]

GROWING FREEDOM

The second part of the exhibition shows Yoko Ono's approach to art, a mixture of videos of performance art and interactive displays where the spectator becomes the artist and creates the pieces which are then viewed by other visitors. The artist' role in this case is in creating the opportunity for the performance rather than being the creator.

Mending broken china (MEND PIECE, Yoko Ono, 1966)

Performance art challenges whether art has to be an object that persists, that only an Artist with capital 'A' can create. Performance art can fleeting, existing only in the moment while Artist and spectator interact, or in this case the stage is set by the Artist who is absent in the performance altogether. Good art, performance art included, generates and creates the space for thoughts, feelings, and observations by the participants and perceivers.

Pottery shards, glue, take and string, provided by the Art Gallery - and amazing to see what has already been produced by the visitors on the first day!

As the final item in the exhibition, as one enters and exists, are a number of trees and the provision of paper and pencil with the invitation to add a thought to the tree. There was a suggestion to write thoughts about your mother but since she may read this blog, decided not to :)

The exhibition takes up the ground floor of the Vancouver Art Gallery and I bought a book about Yoko's life and art in the gift shop (remember that Art Gallery members get a discount!!)