Promise Piece-bones for Nam June Paik's Memorial
by Ono, Yoko
- Used
- Signed
- Condition
- See description
- Seller
-
Portland, Oregon, United States
Payment Methods Accepted
About This Item
New York: Guggenheim Museum, 2006. Four fragments of a large, shattered Chinese vase, each initialled "Y.O." and dated " '06", from a performance of Yoko Ono's fluxus work, Promise Piece (first performed at the Jeanetta Cochrane Theatre, London, 1966, and included in Grapefruit). This variation concluded the memorial for Korean American video artist Nam June Paik held at the Guggenheim Museum on April 26, 2006.
The event was described by Michael Wilson on the Art Forum website (Chance Encounters, April 29, 2006, https://dtbbks.com/ono):
"After two helpers in head-to-toe black and ninja masks had carried a large canvas of a vase to the front of the stage and unrolled a canvas bag heavy with ceramic fragments, Ono walked on and took a seat. A soundtrack of birdsong faded out and, after a burst of dissonant song, she announced: 'The vase has been broken into 450 pieces. Take one home and promise to think of Nam June.' She took out her knitting (I'm not making this up), and the crowd began to mass around her to claim their (signed) fragments before filtering out into the night."
Accompanying the fragments are 1) the event program signed by several of the participants including Paik's widow; 2) the original admission ticket (generic); and 3) a photograph of Ono knitting during the performance.
Promise Piece is one of several works by Ono that incorporate broken pottery, sometimes reassembling them and other times scattering the pieces so that mending is no longer possible. In this case, perhaps as a metaphor for death, the pieces are scattered, each hinting at the shape and decoration of the original vase, but offering only memory and imagination to the viewer.
The fragments are 8.5 mm thick (5/16-inch). In their largest dimensions they measure 12.4 x 5.6 cm; 7 x 4.3 cm; 11 x 7.8 cm; 9.4 x 6 cm.
Provenance: Helene Verin. Fine (though broken).
The event was described by Michael Wilson on the Art Forum website (Chance Encounters, April 29, 2006, https://dtbbks.com/ono):
"After two helpers in head-to-toe black and ninja masks had carried a large canvas of a vase to the front of the stage and unrolled a canvas bag heavy with ceramic fragments, Ono walked on and took a seat. A soundtrack of birdsong faded out and, after a burst of dissonant song, she announced: 'The vase has been broken into 450 pieces. Take one home and promise to think of Nam June.' She took out her knitting (I'm not making this up), and the crowd began to mass around her to claim their (signed) fragments before filtering out into the night."
Accompanying the fragments are 1) the event program signed by several of the participants including Paik's widow; 2) the original admission ticket (generic); and 3) a photograph of Ono knitting during the performance.
Promise Piece is one of several works by Ono that incorporate broken pottery, sometimes reassembling them and other times scattering the pieces so that mending is no longer possible. In this case, perhaps as a metaphor for death, the pieces are scattered, each hinting at the shape and decoration of the original vase, but offering only memory and imagination to the viewer.
The fragments are 8.5 mm thick (5/16-inch). In their largest dimensions they measure 12.4 x 5.6 cm; 7 x 4.3 cm; 11 x 7.8 cm; 9.4 x 6 cm.
Provenance: Helene Verin. Fine (though broken).
Reviews
(Log in or Create an Account first!)
Details
- Bookseller
- Downtown Brown Books, ABAA (US)
- Bookseller's Inventory #
- 362079
- Title
- Promise Piece-bones for Nam June Paik's Memorial
- Author
- Ono, Yoko
- Book Condition
- Used
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Publisher
- Guggenheim Museum
- Place of Publication
- New York
- Date Published
- 2006
- Keywords
- Asian05 NOT B P Y
- Bookseller catalogs
- Japanese American;
Terms of Sale
Downtown Brown Books, ABAA
All items are guaranteed as described and may be returned within 30 days for a refund. If the item arrives damaged or does not match the description, we'll refund the purchase price plus shipping.
About the Seller
Downtown Brown Books, ABAA
Biblio member since 2019
Portland, Oregon
About Downtown Brown Books, ABAA
Every book holds a clue. Shop open to the public by appointment only.
Glossary
Some terminology that may be used in this description includes:
- Fine
- A book in fine condition exhibits no flaws. A fine condition book closely approaches As New condition, but may lack the...