Interview by WILLOW Defebaugh
In her 2018 song of this name, Yoko Ono describes the planet as being at a “turning point in eternity.” With recent reports making the threat of our changing climate more imminent and dire than ever, nothing could be closer to the truth. Here, the legendary artist and activist reminds us what we can learn from our environment.
Willow Defebaugh
What does the word “natural” mean to you?
Yoko Ono
Us.
Willow
How do you see humans and nature coexisting in the future?
Yoko
We are already coexisting. We just don’t think so.
Willow
What can nature teach us about violence and peace?
Yoko
Peace is power. War and violence bring poverty.
Willow
Is there such a thing as too much progress?
Yoko
Progress? We are incredibly instinctive people, so we will change with a speed that we can’t think about now.
Willow
Did we come into this world or come out of it?
Yoko
We are here, and we can make it better and better.
PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY GETTY IMAGES
This article appears in Volume 01: Neo-Natural of Atmos.
Neo-Natural is a study of humankind's relationship to nature in the age of climate change, including topics such as resource depletion and regeneration, gene editing, cellular agriculture, and the increasingly inarguable effects of the Anthropocene on indigenous communities around the globe. It features contributions from artists like Yoko Ono, ANOHNI, Ryan McGinley, Daniel Beltra, and more, all attempting to answer the question: What does "natural" mean in the modern world?
