The Art of John Lennon

Art Business News, April, 2001 by Lisa Crawford Watson

A new tour features whimsical work created by Lennon for his son Sean

Imagine if John Lennon were with us today. Would he be pleased with our progress toward peace and real love? Thanks to his fans and, in large part, to his widow Yoko Ono, Lennon's vision does remain present not only through his music, which continues to outsell the market, but through the release of his visual art.

It was a silent yet steadfast promise Ono made to the memory of her husband that the world would know him as an artist. To fulfill his wish for a serious exhibition of his art, she started releasing his work to the public. Beginning in 1986 with a series called "This is my Story Both Humble and True," she continued with "Bag One Continued," "Dakota Days" and "Karuizawa Series."

Ono's latest release, currently on tour across the country, is "Real Love," a collection of drawings Lennon created with and for their son Sean during the last year of John's life. Random House New York published the images, which reveal a marvelous sense of humor in the often-intense artist, in a small book of the same title in 1999.

"In 1975, John became the father of a very special boy; Sean," wrote Ono in the "Real Love" prologue. "John was ecstatic. `I'm going to raise this baby, Yoko. You do the business' It was that simple ... John would draw something and explain to Sean what it was. Then it was Sean's turn. John would write what Sean had said underneath the drawings as titles ... That is how Sean learned the fun of drawing, the fun of doing things together with his dad and the fun of life."

Presented by Legacy Productions in northern California, the exhibit includes more than 100 drawings Lennon created between 1968 and 1980, the year of his death. Ono believes he would be pleased.

"I think John's art for the most part represents old-fashioned family traditions," Ono said

Larry Schwartz of Legacy Productions said, "He made a lot of social statements, but there's a lot about the family in his work."

In addition to "Real Love," the show includes whimsical sketches, each of which portrays Lennon's inextricable political and family values, as well as many controversial images from the "Bag One Portfolio" he drew as a wedding gift for Ono. Chronicling their wedding ceremony, honeymoon and appeal for world peace, the series was first published and exhibited in 1970 at the London Art Gallery, only to be confiscated as erotica by Scotland Yard a day later. The portfolio is now part of the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art in New York.

"These works are highly emotional for many who attend our shows," said Schwartz. "The exhibit is touring the United States, and pieces are being offered for sale to the public."

Although best known for his music, Lennon was a visual artist and writer first. Born in Liverpool, England in 1940, he studied at Liverpool Art Institute from 1957 until 1960, where he wrote and illustrated two books of poetry, In His Own Write and A Spaniard in the Works.

Characterized by a loose yet linear style, Lennon was inspired by the art of Oriental line drawing, endeavoring to create an evocative image quickly with as few lines as possible. Yet at times, his style changed with his message.

"He went through many phases," said Ono. "Before I met him, even when he was 9 years old, he did some incredible satirical animation--gritty stuff. Then, he went to art school, and a lot of stuff he did before we met is in his books. They're incredible, filled with black humor. I love them all. Then he went through a phase when he went to Japan and came back influenced by Oriental art, and he did experiment with Oriental brush strokes."

Swinging from erotic statements to the love of his child, Lennon's work was a passionate plea for an emotional response, and he got it, both then and now. "The appeal of Lennon's art," said Schwartz, "is that it's a really emotional and intimate look at his own life and the power of his music, the conviction of his message and the love of his family. It truly is music for the eyes."

Last year alone, more than 200,000 people across the country attended exhibits of Lennon's artwork. For a nominal donation, people who lived through the '60s and '70s and those who came later appreciate and collect his work.

"Even though he's been gone for 20 years," said Schwartz, "his dream for world peace is still alive. A lot of the people who come to these shows have never bought a piece of art in their lives," said Schwartz. "But they're intrigued by this visual look inside his mind. This is art for the people."

Each three-day show is also art for the benefit of people. The shows, which have been presenting certain aspects of Lennon's work for nearly seven years, serve as fundraisers for causes Ono supports. In addition to what she donates herself, the shows have raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for causes such as facial reconstructive surgery (Operation Smile), cancer (Gilda's Club) and AIDS.

The most recent show, "Real Love, The Artwork of John Lennon," was held on Valentine's weekend in Monterey, Calif. The charitable focus, "Imagine ... a world without AIDS," benefited the Monterey County AIDS Project.