2 The fact that Ono performed Bag Piece out of her numerous other performance pieces draws special attention here, as she and Lennon would soon launch Bagism, which I argue is an extension of Bag Piece and a mass-media version of “Event,” an important part of her practice during her pre-Lennon years. Having emerged from the bag, she then sang “Whole Lotta Yoko,” which consisted solely of her chanting and screaming without any discernible lyrics, in a jam with French violinist Ivry Gitlis. She entered a large black bag, moved around inside it, changing the shape of the bag, and exited as the song ended. While the Dirty Mac-a superstar group created for this particular concert of Lennon, Eric Clapton, Keith Richards, and Mitch Mitchell-was performing the Beatles track “Yer Blues” written by Lennon, Ono came up on the stage and, near a speaker, performed Bag Piece. As if this was not outrageous enough, Ono appeared on stage in an unexpectedly aggressive manner. 1 It was the first time Lennon would perform in public without the rest of the Beatles since the band’s formation in 1960. In December 1968, Ono and Lennon participated in The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus concert, organised by Mick Jagger, as musical partners. Their “advanced” interdisciplinary practice explains why the duo’s performances have long existed outside the scope of art history. As this analysis will demonstrate, it is historically significant that Ono and Lennon staged such events during the very early years of both “performance art” and celebrity worship culture, with Ono being the former’s pioneer and Lennon the latter’s greatest contributor. In particular by borrowing the Fluxus performance concept of “Event,” which I will interpret as a platform of experience and a medium for change, I will explain and examine the complexities and intermediate identities of the multifaceted events staged by Ono and Lennon. Their playful use of the public gaze and their own reputations were part of their self-display performances, which I analyse here through a Fluxus lens. As an art historian, I find particularly interesting the ways in which Ono and Lennon made joint public appearances and activities in the late 1960s, during the peak years of their notoriety, actively seeking exposure and attention, while presenting themselves in aesthetically and conceptually coherent ways that used the media to provoke and engage audience responses. As is well known, public opinion was largely negative and would eventually blame Ono for the Beatles’ breakup in 1970. Yoko Ono and John Lennon’s love affair became a public issue in 1968, when they began to make appearances together and collaborate on art and music. SooJin Lee uses a Fluxus lens to consider Ono and Lennon’s playful use of the public gaze.
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