bibliography: artists books

the room without a shadow
by Yoko Ono
Serpentine Gallery, 2012

Digital print, edition size 23 copies.Sheet size 11.5 x 17 cm. Text piece composed of 13 parts plus signed title card, with presentation box. Available from Printed Editions.

yoko ono - an invisible flower
Illustration and text by Yoko Ono
Project supervision by Sean Lennon
Japanese title published by Chimera Library & ADP, August 2011
English title published by Chronicle Book, April 2012

Hardcover with jacket. The Japanese title 196mm x 242mm, 58 full colour pages, Japanese and English. The English title 7.24 x 9.41 x 0.98 inches, 48 full colour pages, English. About the book: About the book: "This elegant little art book is a never-before-published treasure written and illustrated by Yoko Ono in 1952, when she was 19 years old, at the advent of her artistic career. Featuring whimsical hand-drawn text and minimalist drawings in chalk pastel, this sweet story tells of an invisible beauty that we all know, but cannot see. But there is one person who can see it: ‘Smelty John.’"

There is also a special boxed edition available for fine art collectors through Chimera Library

fly me
by Yoko Ono
Ecstatic Peace Library, 2010

"Published as a limited edition, FLY ME is a handbound book that unfolds to become a kite, featuring seven pages of individual messages or instructions composed by Ono. These messages are designed to be read by all, in the sky on a windy day. You simply unfold the page you wish to fly and attach the paper to the bamboo frame included to construct a massive (30 × 36 inch) diamond-shaped kite. Including such characteristic Ono advice as “Imagine Peace” and “Fly,” these messages are printed with soy-based inks on 100% recycled paper. The kite frame itself is made of hand-carved oak from a sustainable fores in New York state."

the other rooms
All artworks and texts by Yoko Ono
Charta/Wunternaum Press, 2010

A hardcover publication with 252 pages, in English.

Publisher information: "The Other Rooms is a sequel to Yoko Ono's Grapefruit, a now classic artist's book that was first published in 1964 and became a cult classic following its wider distribution after 1970. Matching the satisfyingly compact size of Grapefruit, and beautifully bound in white cloth, The Other Rooms is conceived as a series of rooms that unfold the story of, in the words of the artist, "the life of a woman seeing through the eyes of her son." On page after page, or room after room, Ono walks the reader through her unique expression of motherly utopian pedagogy, providing observations and instruction "pieces" such as the following, for "Balance Piece": a) Politicians should wear pink transparent loose robes or pajama-like outfits without the bottoms at all times. b) A priest should wear a bright red suit with one sleeve and bell-bottom pants with his penis exposed at all times. c) The army should wear drag (cocktail party-type flair skirts) and high-heel shoes with jewelry (earrings, etc.) Other sequences simply describe imaginary rooms, and invite the reader to inhabit them, or suggest new approaches to tasks such as gardening, or to one's hometown, all in the serenely open style for which Ono is so famed. The Other Rooms is joyfully interactive in this sense, finding ways "to open doors where there are no doors." "

imagine yoko
All artworks and texts by Yoko Ono
Bakhåll, 2005

Bakhåll: "Imagine Yoko" is a book of ideas--provocative, engaging, enjoyable. In this unique edition Yoko Ono shares her inner thoughts with us on such themes as what art really is and how art can make the world a better place. This brilliant book also gives us an unclouded insight into Yoko's artistic realm and guides us through her work. So what is art? Art is to imagine. Art can be the saviour when politics fail. Art is a means of survival. The book is an anthology of aphorisms and essays that Yoko has verbally communicated or written over the years, compiled and edited by Bakhall's founder Orjan Gerhardsson in close cooperation with the artist herself. Deluxe hard-cover edition, 128 pages, printed on high quality paper with many color illustrations. Included with the book is a bonus DVD with samples from two of Yoko's films: Film No.4 (Bottoms) and Film No. 13 Fly. Playing time: 14 minutes."

Order it directly from the publisher

"Imagine Orjan Gerhardsson!"
the man behind Bakhåll's John&Yoko publications

yoko ono spare room
By Yoko Ono
Wunternaum Press, 2003

This artist's book was published in conjunction with the exhibition Yoko Ono Women's Room in Musée d'Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris, France (July 2nd - September 28th 2003). Features Yoko Ono's essay Feeling The Space (originally published in 1973) beautifully arranged alongside with digitalized images of her apartment's window over-looking Central Park.

map piece 2001
By Yoko Ono
Walker Art Center, 2001

This art publication is a spiral-bound blank notebook with Yoko Ono's hand-written Map Piece on the cover: "Map Piece 2001. Draw imaginary maps of your dreams." This art notebook was produced by the Walker Art Center in conjunction with the exhibition YES Yoko Ono

revelations
By Yoko Ono and Shii Hae
Literary Renaissance, 1997

A broadside by Yoko Ono, with b&w photo on the broadside of Yoko Ono by Jayne Wexler. Poster designed by Hozomeen press and the text on broadside from Yoko Ono's song titled also Revelations from her album Rising (1995).

yoko ono: instruction paintings
By Yoko Ono
Weatherhill, 1995

Yoko Ono's instruction paintings from 1961-62. 63 pages. A matching papered slipcase. Black & white photos. The text in Japanese and in English. 6 pages of text by Yoko Ono, photos of her work by George Maciunas, plus 21 sets of instructions, many created for an exhibition of her paintings & drawings at the AG Gallery July, 1961.

pennyviews
By Yoko Ono
Santa Barbara Turkey Press, 1995

Limited Edition Artist Book, Edition 125 In conjunction with the exhibitions: In the Spirit of Fluxus at the Santa Barbara Museum of Art and "Yoko Ono: half-full half-empty" at the Santa Barbara Contemporary Arts Forum. 24 letterpress printed drawings by Yoko Ono on two Japanese papers: black mingel and kakishibu (handmade persimmon-washed kozo). This hand bound book has a hard cover and a copper relief-printed spine. Produced by Harry and Sandra Reese/Turkey Press, Santa Barbara.

earth piece (limited edition)
By Yoko Ono 1963/1999

A conceptual piece published and signed by Yoko Ono; limited to 100 copies; a phrase from 1963 and reprinted in 1999 on a white card paper (size: 3-5/8 x 5-1/8in) with tissue guard & white envelope: "Earth Piece... Listen to the sound of the Earth turning. Spring '63. y.o." Distributed at a 1999 benefit to the first 100 contributors of a related event.

yoko ono, arias and objects
By Barbara Haskell and John G. Hanhardt
Peregrine Smith Book, 1991

A highly recommended resource for everyone: for Yoko Ono newbies and enthusiasts, and for everyone in between. Covers Ono's career's all aspects and themes: her early works, instruction pieces, fluxus, different exhibitions, objects, events, feminism, films, political activism, her singing etc. One of the essential Yoko Ono books which is full of wonderful descriptions of everything Yoko from the late 50s (Yoko Ono's Chambers Street loft/Fluxus) to the early 90s (Bronze Age).

guests go in to supper
by Melody Sumner, Kathleen Burch & Michael Sumner
Burning Books, 1986

John Cage, Robert Ashley, Yoko Ono, Laurie Anderson, Charles Amirkhanian, Michael Peppe and K. Atchley interviewed... Dean Suzuki / Option Magazine (1987): "This brilliant tome contains interviews, libretti, poems, or song texts, and in some cases, scores to works, notes on performance, graphics, and essays by a remarkable cast of artists and musicians whose works deal with language... If you buy only one book on the contemporary, experimental performing arts, this is unquestionably the one to get." Yoko Ono in this publication about her art: "Somehow all the things that come out of me like words or music or whatever seem to be not my doing. It just comes in and I immediately write it down. I dont think of it as talent necessarily. I think of it like a good radio."

museum of modern f art
By Yoko Ono
Self-published
New York ca. 1971

The catalogue for the exhibition which never actually existed... Museum Of Modern F art was really an event by Yoko Ono. This is an art publication which contains her "Perfumed Flies" event instructions and essay texts by Yoko Ono. Photos by Iain Mcmillan, and the design by Yoko Ono. An intriguing publication, a piece of art itself.

acorn event
By Yoko Ono and John Lennon, 1968

The leaflet for the first event by Yoko Ono and John Lennon in 1968. They produced a folding leaflet inside a cover of Japanese paper. The two kinds of paper used also symbolize the two cultures from which the artists originate. The title page shows John and Yoko sitting at a table. In front of them are two white plant pots with the acorns. The page is designed to look as if John & Yoko are themselves growing out of the pots. Inside the leaflet, there's a poetic and romantic sentence repeated twice: "This is what happens when two clouds meet."

Acorns and John&Yoko

the stone
By Yoko Ono and Tony Cox
The Judson Gallery, 1966

This booklet includes "Autobiography": "Early childhood: collected skys / Late adolescence: gave birth to a grapefruit, collected snails, clouds, garbage cans... --Statement: People went on cutting the parts they do not like of me finally there was only the stone remained of me that was in me but they were still not satisfied and wanted to know what it's like in the stone. --" Another piece included is "Questionnaire." "To the Wesleyan People (who attended the meeting) - a footnote to my lecture of January 13th, 1966" was also included as an insert in The Stone. The Stone was also an event. The event by Yoko Ono and Tony Cox: The Stone by Anthony Cox, Sound Forms by Michael Mason, Eye Bags by Yoko Ono, Film Message by Jeff Perkins.

insound and instructure
By Yoko Ono
Contemporary American Avant-Garde Music Concert Yamaichi Hall
Kyoto Japan
July 20th 1964

The program for the evening of events by Yoko Ono, Tony Cox and Al Wonderlick.

poems by yoko ono
In program for Japanese cultural demonstration
Pratt Institute, New York, 1960

See also Yoko Ono exhibition catalogues