Yoko Ono’s "Cut Piece" as a Participation Work

Since the 1960s, Fluxus has often been concerned with art as an experience. An experience is the basic source for Fluxus, and also the basic principle for Zen Buddhism's enlightenment. In 'Experience' there is the nature of art and life. This is evidenced by Fluxus artist such as Yoko Ono. Cut Piece is not a painting or sculpture; it is performance and an event on the stage. In this Fluxus event or performance, there is the interaction between the performer and the object or the performer and the audience. This represents the changing roles of both artist and recipient. Like Zen, Fluxus presents the subject with a sense of reciprocal determination, an interaction instead of acting upon the world. There can be no subject and no object, but rather a relationship between the two. Generally, we think the performer, Ono, is subject and the audience is object, however, the audience's action - cutting clothes - could be the subject. This paper explores the presentation of Cut Piece which includes the Zen method. This blurs the relationship between the self and the other. It is a practical way beyond the boundary between creator and audience.