Guy Lochhead, 11/02/12
Japanese-American artist, activist and widow of John Lennon. Ono’s visual art is politically-minded and often publicly engaged and performative. Her music is wild but recognisably pop. The treatment of Ono by the British and American public has been terrifying. I think the title of her song/remix project “Yes I Am A Witch” sums it up really well; she is/was this “other” figure – an intelligent and outspoken Japanese-American woman making challenging statements. This victimisation is/was racist and stupid. Even so, I’m not a huge fan of Ono’s art or music. I think her art works on a smaller community level, not with the global attention it receives. Plus, her name just has too much baggage attached to it now…