Cut Piece

performance art by Ono

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July 20, 2026

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"Cut Piece" is a 1964 performance art piece by Yoko Ono. For this work, Ono sat on a stage with a pair of scissors, inviting audience members to cut off pieces of her clothing. The performance explored themes of vulnerability and audience interaction, and it has been recognized as a significant work of feminist art. Ono was a pioneer in conceptual and performance art in the 1960s, known for her interactive and often provocative pieces that encouraged audience participation.12

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Yoko Ono
Cut Piece, Bottoms, and other projects from the 1960s
For the performance piece Cut Piece (1964), she sat passively while an audience, at her invitation, used scissors to cut off parts of the dress she wore; with its connotations of sexual violence, the work was later recognized as a landmark of feminist art. In 1966 Ono relocated to…
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For the performance piece Cut Piece (1964), she sat passively while an audience, at her invitation, used scissors to cut off parts of the dress she wore; with its connotations of sexual violence, the work was later recognized as a landmark of feminist art. In 1966 Ono relocated to…
Read More