Whence subjectivity; ears, eyes or head; Yoko ono's TAPE PIECE lll/Snow Piece

Yoko Ono's TAPE PIECE lll/ Snow Piece(1963) raises questions of where subjectivity lies in conceptual art. An allusion to Zen Master Hakuin and Czech Fluxist Milan Knizak(Wolsey p.8) the piece records the sound of snow falling then the tape is cut up and used to tie up gifts. The recording is not listened to.

What does it mean that art engages audience with the knowledge of, but not the sensual experience of some aesthetic phenomena? The mild denial of the sound, and the desire for this "object"- the sound which is not heard- question what an aesthetic experience is when much of the experience remains hidden and unexperienced. It seems rather like enjoying dessert by reading the dessert menu.

reference

Wolsey, Merrilee, Perceiving Voices in Contemporary Art: An Auditory Exploration of Image, Sculpture and Architecture, MA Thesis, Department of Art History, Concordia University