Yoko Goes to Hamptons, Performs ‘Sex Change’

The textile artist Jack Lenor Larsen threw himself an 80th-birthday party Saturday night at Longhouse Reserve, his estate in East Hampton, and Yoko Ono may have been the star attraction. John Lennon’s widow made some remarks in honor of Larsen, whose home has also served as a publicly accessible art installation for fifteen years, and then she announced an onstage “sex change,” which sent nervous titters through the crowd. Ono then began to unbutton the top of her flowing white gown and appeared to fumble with an undergarment. “Oh, boy,” whispered a septuagenarian as he prepared for something disturbing. But then she simply presto-changoed into some jeans and a brimmed hat, keeping things strictly G-rated. Although the purpose of the switch was not entirely clear, the 74-year-old Ono’s performance earned a sincere round of applause. We suspect it was borne as much from relief as from appreciation. —Selim Algar