''Apple'' is a 1966 conceptual artwork by the Japanese artist

Yoko Ono Yoko Ono ( ; ja, 小野洋子, Ono Yōko, usually spelled in katakana ; born February 18, 1933) is a Japanese multimedia artist, singer, songwriter, and peace activist. Her work also encompasses performance art and filmmaking. Ono grew up i ...

. The work is classified as Temporary art.

Work

The work consists of an

apple An apple is an edible fruit produced by an apple tree (''Malus domestica''). Apple trees are cultivated worldwide and are the most widely grown species in the genus ''Malus''. The tree originated in Central Asia, where its wild ancestor, ' ...

on top of a

plexiglass Poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) belongs to a group of materials called engineering plastics. It is a transparent thermoplastic. PMMA is also known as acrylic, acrylic glass, as well as by the trade names and brands Crylux, Plexiglas, Acrylite, ...

stand. A brass plaque bearing the word 'APPLE' is fixed to the front of the stand. The piece was subsequently covered in bronze as part of Ono's 'Bronze Age' series of artworks.

History

The work was shown at Ono's autumn 1966 show, ''Unfinished Paintings and Objects By Yoko Ono'' at the

Indica Gallery Indica Gallery was a counterculture art gallery in Mason's Yard (off Duke Street), St James's, London from 1965 to 1967, in the basement of the Indica Bookshop. John Dunbar, Peter Asher, and Barry Miles owned it, and Paul McCartney supporte ...

in London. The preview night of Ono's Indica exhibition on 9 November 1966 was visited by the musician

John Lennon John Winston Ono Lennon (born John Winston Lennon; 9 October 19408 December 1980) was an English singer, songwriter, musician and peace activist who achieved worldwide fame as founder, co-songwriter, co-lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of ...

who had heard that "this amazing woman was going to be putting on a show...and it was going to be a bit of a happening". Lennon described himself as "astounded" at the "apple on sale for two hundred quid; I thought it was fantastic—I got her work immediately...it was two hundred quid to watch the fresh apple decompose". The piece also appealed to Lennon as he "didn't have to have much knowledge about avant-garde or underground art... the humor got me straight away". Lennon took a bite out of the apple on display, before apologising and putting the apple back. Ono later recalled that "...he just grabbed it and bit it and looked at me like, you know, "There!" you know? I was so furious, I didn't know what to say. And it all showed in my face: How dare this person, you know, mess around with my work?". Lennon was subsequently impressed by his interaction with Ono's piece ''

Ceiling Painting/Yes Painting ''Ceiling Painting/Yes Painting'' is a 1966 conceptual artwork by the Japanese artist Yoko Ono. Work The work is made from paper, glass, a metal frame, a metal chain, a magnifying glass, and a painted ladder. The word YES is printed on the piece ...

''. ''Apple'' was recreated for the first time in four decades in 2006 at a recreation of the Indica Gallery at the art gallery Riflemaker in London's Soho district. The original Indica had closed in 1967. The piece was displayed at Ono's 2015 retrospective, ''Yoko Ono: One Woman Show, 1960–1971'' at the

Museum of Modern Art The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) is an art museum located in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, on 53rd Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues. It plays a major role in developing and collecting modern art, and is often identified as one of ...

in New York City. Critic Bruce Handy highlighted ''Apple'' as one of the "must see" pieces from the exhibition, and believed the

itself to be of the

Granny Smith The Granny Smith, also known as a green apple or sour apple, is an apple cultivar which originated in Australia in 1868. It is named after Maria Ann Smith, who propagated the cultivar from a chance seedling. The tree is thought to be a hybrid ...

cultivar A cultivar is a type of cultivated plant that people have selected for desired traits and when propagated retain those traits. Methods used to propagate cultivars include: division, root and stem cuttings, offsets, grafting, tissue culture ...

Interpretation

In 1966, Ono described the "...excitement of watching the apple decay, and the decision as to whether to replace it, or just thinking of the beauty of the apple after it's gone". Bruce Handy wrote that the accompanying label for ''Apple'' highlighted for the viewer the juxtaposition between the physical permanence of the pedestal's brass plaque and the "passage of time marked by the apple's decay and periodic renewal as it is replaced throughout the course of the exhibition" a relationship that begins as "the transparent base recedes into space".

References

{{Yoko Ono 1966 works Apples Conceptual art Works by Yoko Ono