Response to Yoko Ono's "Cut Piece" (1965)

Watching Yoko Ono's "Cut Piece" was a very shocking and emotional piece for me to watch. The evocative sense of emotion through her attempts to keep a stoic expression as those around slowly take away her exterior boundaries with more and more greed was very powerful. The piece delicately show's the artist's ability of helplessness to and yet power over the situation she is in. Those who come up to her are able to cut her clothes in however way they desire and have no limit to however much they desire. Yet, she is the one in power letting them do so, the one in power controlling her emotions, and most of all, persuading those who present themselves in the video to reveal their inner nature as they cut her away. The vulnerability and yet stone-like nature of her face was especially moving, as she tries to be like a rock, but her emotions and discomfort and pain through the situation inevitably show as the last man cuts away piece after piece of her clothing.