The Great Read: Is Yoko Ono the Most Radical Artist of the Trump Era?
In the 1960s, she invited an audience to cut off her clothes. As attacks on women’s rights escalate, “Cut Piece” and other decades-old works of feminist art feel more relevant than ever.
The New York Times
The Great Read
April 30, 2026, 2:01 p.m. Eastern time

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A still from a black-and-white film showing Yoko Ono sitting as a man cuts the strap of her top.

Filmed by David and Albert Maysles © Yoko Ono

arts and letters

Is Yoko Ono the Most Radical Artist of the Trump Era?

In the 1960s, she invited an audience to cut off her clothes. As attacks on women’s rights escalate, “Cut Piece” and other decades-old works of feminist art feel more relevant than ever.

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