Morning Piece (1964) to George Maciunas 1965

Curator: Here we have Yoko Ono's "Morning Piece (1964) to George Maciunas," currently held in the Harvard Art Museums. It consists of a simple cardboard box filled with fragments of broken glass. Editor: The glass shards are compelling. They possess a muted palette—greens, blues, whites—evoking something discarded and repurposed. Curator: Ono's work often challenged traditional art spaces and redefined the role of the artist. "Morning Piece" was originally intended as a performance, where Ono sold the glass with instructions for the buyer to keep a piece until it turned to dust. Editor: That's fascinating! The transformation of material becomes integral to the artwork's lifespan, and the individual consumer becomes part of the means of production. Curator: Precisely! The performance aspect highlights the ephemeral and challenges the static nature of traditional art objects within institutions. Editor: I'm left pondering how a discarded material, repurposed in this way, can become a potent reflection on consumer culture and artistic creation. Curator: Indeed, it prompts questions about the perceived value and lifespan of both objects and ideas.