IK! - YES YOKO ONO - Walker Art Center - Cleaning Piece, March 2001

Cleaning Piece -
Center Mound and
Mound of Sorrow

Mound of Sorrow
Gathering Stones

Mound of Joy
Would Gain More
Stones by Opening
Night.

As always, you are
invited to share
your own thoughts
about Yoko's art.

If you have any
personal experiences
from the Walker,
please pass them along
and we'll add them to
our report.

Mail to IK!

Since attending Yoko's YES retrospective at the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis, I have been reflecting on the interactivity aspect of Yoko's art. The visitor is often required to finish the piece, whether with thought or an actual physical activity, such as hammering a nail, climbing a ladder or stepping on a painting. Because this was a retrospective, many of the pieces that originally required some action on our part, were not "activated."

One of the pieces that is hands-on at the Walker, is the piece that is standing
out in my mind. Cleaning Piece greeted us when we first walked down a hall
leading in to the main exhibit rooms. Based on photos I've seen of Cleaning Piece installations elsewhere, the Walker version was much smaller, but this fact couldn't possibly have diminished its impact on me.

The visitor observes three containers. The middle container is filled with stones. Visitors can pick up a stone from the center and put it in the Mound of Joy container to the left, or in the Mound of Sorrow container on the opposite side. The act of picking up the stone and setting it in the container you choose, makes an indelible impression on the mind.

Several years ago, I received a set of books by Florence Scovel Shinn as a gift. Ms. Shinn deals in the metaphysical and spiritual world. Her books offer affirmations which readers are told are more powerful when spoken aloud. I was reminded of these books when I reflected on how strongly I was affected by moving that stone over to the Mound of Joy at the Walker. Even though there are things in my life that bring me sadness almost everyday, I wanted to direct my energies to the Joy side of the piece. Thinking, "I am experiencing joy" is a positive affirmation. But the physical action of picking up the stone and moving it over to the Joy pile seems to create an even greater power within.

On the other hand, if someone is experiencing great sorrow that they cannot express or share, perhaps picking up a stone and setting it with the Sorrow stones would relieve a tension or make that person feel less burdened by their sadness.