On November 9th, 1966, John Lennon walked into London’s Indica Gallery where he met a 33-year-old avant-garde artist named Yoko Ono. The Beatle, unenthused by concept art, climbed a ladder that was part of Ono’s installation piece. At the top of the ladder, the word “YES” appeared through a spyglass and, as Lennon later explained, he was deeply moved by the simple expression of acceptance.
Nearly 50 years later, Ono continues to proliferate optimism through her art and social activism. Photographs of the piece that inspired Lennon, “YES Painting, 1966″ along with photographs of “Apple, 1966″ and “War Is Over, 1969-1991″ are included in the comprehensive new collection Yoko Ono Infinite Universe At Dawn, curated by Ono with Genesis Publications. Only 1,500 limited edition signed copies of the book will be released worldwide at roughly $517 (or £325).
Recently, at New York’s Paley Center, Ono sat down contributing editor Anthony DeCurtis for a lengthy discussion about her path as an avant-garde artist. Wearing a leather jacket and dark circular glasses, Ono spoke about her childhood in Tokyo — where she was trained as a classical pianist — to her involvement with New York’s Fluxus movement and John Cage.
