| The Art of John Lennon
At Pacific Edge Gallery By: Shelley Germeaux West Coast Correspondent, Daytrippin Magazine Published in Daytrippin’ Magazine, Issue 21 “If art were to redeem man, it could do so only by saving him from the seriousness of life and restoring him to unexpected boyishness.” -- -- John Lennon This quote inside the John Lennon art catalog perfectly describes the feeling and attitude John had about his art. He never allowed his professional training to interfere with anything his soul wanted to express, whether it be in music or on paper. This undisciplined approach, as well as his rock star image, prevented his work from being taken seriously in the 60’s by art critics. But since his death, his widow, Yoko Ono, an artist in her own right, has changed all that. In 1986 she began releasing limited editions of John’s drawings, and fans and critics alike have taken notice. 115-120 pieces have been issued so far, of which about a third have sold out . Pacific Edge Gallery, in Laguna Beach, California, has worked with John Lennon’s Estate since 1988 to offer and display limited editions of John’s artwork and lyrics. They take the Art of John Lennon on tour to many cities throughout the U.S. and Canada each year. Owners/curators Rich Horowitz and Paul Jillson are lifetime devoted Beatles fans, and this venture is truly an affair of the heart. Rich explains how his passion for John’s art and music developed into a business that works with the Lennon Estate. “Like many people, I’ve been a Beatles fan since I was quite young. I was infatuated with the music, the guitars, the whole scene. I bought the records when they were first released and was inspired to learn to play guitar, and start a band. I first became aware of John’s artwork from the book, ‘In His Own Write’. When the Bag One lithographs were released, they intrigued me very much, but I was not in a position financially to purchase them. I did however, lust after them. A number of years later, a friend of mine in the Bay area told me of a complete set that was available. After some negotiation, I was able to procure the artwork and actually still own that same set. It makes me happy to this day! “The business side of the artwork was a slow evolution, beginning in 1988. I was, (and still am) involved in the record business. Paul owned a fine art gallery. I was looking for the vinyl bag that the lithographs were originally sold in, and while walking by Paul’s gallery, noticed that he had one in his window! He also had a number of John’s artworks hanging inside. We got to talking, and after some time, decided to partner on a small exhibit at my record store in San Diego. The first exhibit was very successful, so we decided to go to some other cities. When we got to Seattle, both the media and the public were very excited about it. Yoko’s assistant came to see what we were doing, and was very impressed with the exhibit and our enthusiasm. After several meetings, we were asked if we’d like to continue the tour with the full support of the estate. Needless to say, we were thrilled. We’re still thrilled!!!” Rich works with Yoko’s assistant, who is the director of the artwork. Rich also has coordinated over 80 media interviews for Yoko during exhibitions. I asked Rich why he felt John’s art is so special. “For me, the artwork is very emotional. It’s a constant reminder of a very special time in my life. It’s an era that will never be repeated.” New Releases The Lennon estate has released new pieces on a regular basis. The lyrics to Imagine have been released as a limited edition serigraph in celebration of the song’s 30-year anniversary. This is truly exciting---because the original lyrics, handwritten by John on hotel stationery, had been lost for over twenty years. I learned from Pacific Edge that they surfaced unexpectedly when a Japanese businessman offered them to the John Lennon Museum in Tokyo in 2000! My mind reeled. “What do you mean, lost?” Rich explained, “They’re not really certain how they were taken out of the Dakota.” I assumed that this would give Yoko the ability to get them back legally since they must have been stolen. Apparently not. Rich continued, “Yoko, at this point, is not getting them back. Apparently, the lyrics had changed hands several times before the museum ended up with them. I don’t think she pursued any legal tactics because she ultimately wanted them in a museum anyway. Yoko was granted permission from the museum to create the limited editions.” Now John’s fans (and Yoko!) can obtain an authenticated serigraph of the famous lyrics in John’s handwriting. “You Are Here”, a drawing originally done by John in 1969, has also premiered, as well as a beautiful copper-etching called “Day Dream”, showing a tranquil John getting a massage in a Japanese setting, part of the Karuizawa series in sumi ink. Another recent addition to the collection are new serigraphs from the “Real Love” series. 16 of the 38 drawings reproduced in the book, “Real Love, The Drawings For Sean” are now limited editions. They are a sunny addition to any room with their vibrant colors, playful animal scenes, and humorous captions.. The drawings have been colorized under Yoko’s direction. She recently commented in an interview that at first she was appalled by the idea of colorizing the drawings, wanting to leave them just as John drew them. She agreed to it after being told that the galleries would be reluctant to display them without some interesting color. “A Bird Dreaming”, “Puppy Love”, “Git Along Little Dowgie”, and “The Big Dog Frightens (but not always”) , are the newest editions. The Exhibitions As you enter the foyer of one of the Pacific Edge exhibitions, John’s music begins to surround you, and videos from John’s life play on a T.V. across from a comfy couch. Inside the gallery the display exudes serenity. The pieces displayed cover John’s work from 1964-1979 and include his “Bag One” series, scenes from the Dakota days, vacations in Japan, playful cartoons he drew for his son Sean, and his lyrics. There are also commemorative portraits of John in various colors. When the exhibitions come to Seattle, they are at the elegant Alexis Hotel on Seattle’s waterfront, just a mile from the Edgewater Hotel, where the Beatles stayed in 1964. (Remember the picture of the Beatles fishing out the window?) Fun themes have kicked off the events. In 1997, the exhibit was on John’s birthday weekend in October, and coincided with the opening of the permanent ‘John Lennon Suite’ at the hotel. A mock ‘bed-in’, with John and Yoko look-alikes, set the stage in the new suite, complete with ‘hair peace’ signs and sing-alongs on a big white bed surrounded by flowers making it a prime media event. John’s artwork hangs on the walls of the suite, and CD’s and videos about John can be checked out at the desk. It’s a popular suite, just like the “Beatle Suite” at the Edgewater, and should be booked way in advance. In 1999, the press opening of the exhibition came with champagne and a huge birthday cake for John. Mark Delanoy of New Jersey, John Lennon look-alike who has been known to stop traffic and turn heads, including that of Julian Lennon, and Yoko Ono, was here celebrating his wedding anniversary with wife Jeanne, which happens to be on John’s birthday. He was invited to stand in for John and cut the cake, which drew cheers and blushing women waiting to get their picture taken with him. What is John Lennon’s Art? John did primarily line drawings, either in pen, pencil, or Japanese sumi ink. John had an amazing ability to capture his emotions and features in his art, and in a couple of swift lines, portray himself perfectly. He drew with amazing speed, a talent that also characterized his songwriting. Yoko recognizes the professionalism John gained from art school, adding in a recent interview, “But he kind of transcended that. He didn’t let the art-school training ruin him, you know? And I like that about him, that he had his own thing, his own style.” (“Come Together”, March 21, 2002, Post-Gazette.com). The limited editions consist of lithographs, serigraphs, and copper etchings hand-reproduced from the originals. Serigraphs use a silkscreen; this process was used to produce the commemorative colorized portraits as well as the lyric sheets. The Bag One editions on the other hand are lithographs, which are hand-pulled on a printing press. The decision of which method to use depends on which will be most suited to the specific drawing. For example, copper etchings are done when the original drawing has very thick lines, such as the piece,“The Lennon’s”. The paper is actually pressed onto an embossed copper plate. Rich said, “Most of the Japanese drawings were actually made with a process called ‘Chine Colle’ lithography, a process done with a limestone plate. It is very laborious.” Investment Value History is quickly proving that you won’t be sorry if you invest in a piece of John Lennon art, whether it’s for personal or investment reasons. If you’re a Lennon fan, most likely it will always be a treasured piece in your home that you’ll insist on being buried with. But if you’re not that sentimental, at the very least you will have made a good investment. Each of John’s drawings are limited to just 325 copies worldwide, and the lyric sheets are limited to 1000 copies. Each has a certificate of authenticity that guarantees no more will be released. They are hand-signed by Yoko, and contain John’s chop sign and his imprinted signature. A “chop sign” is an oriental square mark, in red, for identification. John designed his chop mark to mean “Like a Cloud, Beautiful Sound”. Pacific Edge will also professionally mat and frame pieces for you at a very reasonable cost, and they also offer a lay-away plan. Opening prices are kept low and very affordable for fans. But the price will climb, especially when it’s popular and close to selling out. As an example, in 1997 the lyrics to “In My Life” were priced at $1075 and was already close to selling out at that time. It has continued to be in such high demand that the market price is now about $5000. Rich added, “All of the earlier editions are sold out, and it seems that the newer editions sell out more quickly than they used to. I think it’s because so many more people are aware of the artwork, and also because we have a large number of clients who collect regularly.” John’s Literary & Artistic Background John is most famous for his music, but his first love was drawing and poetry. Most fans of John’s are aware of his childhood “Daily Howl” journals, created in school when he was supposed to be studying. They contained caricatured cartoons of teachers, silly poems, and witty word-plays. He created it in the style of a daily school newspaper. One day when John got into trouble and had it confiscated, the teachers looked through it in the staff room and really had a laugh---or as John would have said, “a real larf..” (The Daily Howl is on display at the John Lennon Exhibit at the Cleveland Rock and Roll Hall of Fame through the end of 2002.) And who doesn’t remember the interviews where John revealed his anger at Aunt Mimi for throwing away his childhood poetry? He said, “you’ll be sorry Mimi when I’m famous!” Having failed his “O levels” at school, Auntie Mimi got him into the Liverpool Art Institute where he did get some professional training, but the classes still didn’t exactly bring out his creative and distinctly individual style. Lettering class was torture because of the technical detail, and Cynthia, who would later be his wife, had to do all his work. Once again, teachers accidentally discovered his personal manuscripts and drawings, and were taken aback at his true innate talent, which went ungraded, and certainly unrewarded at the time. His best friend at that time, Stu Sutcliffe, who was a rising star at the school, taught him many techniques in their flat that John would use the rest of his life. One of those techniques was using a few swift, simple strokes to characterize a person’s facial features, generating instant recognition. You will see this in John’s self-portraits. The closest John got to being recognized for his writing and drawing talent in the early days was when the Beatles first got together in Liverpool and Bill Harry published John’s stories in “Merseybeat” magazine. When John’s original papers were lost at the Merseybeat office during a move, John was so upset he sobbed over it. When John became a famous Beatle in the 60’s, he compiled his work into the books, “In His Own Write”, and “A Spaniard in The Works”. His autobiographical “Skywriting By Word of Mouth” was written during the last five years of his life, but disappeared from the Dakota after his death (along with his diaries and the Imagine lyrics, as well as many other items). Once it was recovered, it was published in 1986. All three books feature his drawings and witty stories, with Joycean double meanings. In 1969 John created a portfolio of drawings entitled “Bag One”, telling the story of John and Yoko’s wedding, erotic honeymoon scenes and their bed-ins. When the drawings were released as a limited edition of lithographs, signed by him, they were confiscated from several galleries around the world, charging that the drawings were “pornographic”. John’s defense in court was a reference to Picasso’s drawings, which were just as erotic, and the charges were dropped. But the incident discouraged John from wanting to show his artwork in public for many years. John would smile to know that the complete portfolio is now permanently in the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Also, it’s funny that John quips in the “Skywriting” book , from his 1975 vantage point, that any one print of Bag One was selling for “a hundred bucks” at local galleries. He never would have believed that just twenty five years later, any one of those 15 individual prints now markets between $4000 and $15,000. ***** The exhibit of John Lennon’s artwork is a devotional experience,
and one you will keep going back to each year simply as a matter of sacred
tribute to John Lennon. The excitement of seeing the new releases also
keeps the anticipation high. There’s always one piece that grabs
your emotional heartstrings, either because of a personal memory of that
time period, or a profound connection to John’s facial expression
on the piece. It touches you. I’ve seen people become very emotional
as they finally buy the piece they’ve been staring at, and it’s
taken off the wall and given to them. John put his true life into his
artwork., and that’s why it’s more than just art--- it feels
as though part of John’s heart has just been handed to you. That
makes it priceless.
|