John Lennon already enjoyed international love and fame when he was gunned down in front of his apartment building in New York 28 years ago.
But in the nearly three decades since, his artwork has gradually gained legitimacy — an unlikely turn considering that it was previously banned, panned and otherwise dismissed. Now his pieces hang in places including the Museum of Modern Art and have helped raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for international charities.
A longtime artist who attended the Liverpool Art Institute from 1957 to 1960, Lennon left behind hundreds of drawings that communicated both his worldview and intimate family life. Since 1992, his artwork has been displayed around the world.
We spoke to artist Yoko Ono, Lennon’s widow, in advance of this weekend’s “Working Class Hero” art show in Boulder about the popularity and intent of the traveling show.
Q: I understand you first met John at an art gallery in London in 1966. What did you think of him?
A: I just thought that he was a very attractive guy, but I was so busy. I was an artist, and he was so famous. I just thought, “Oh no, not now . . . ”
Q: The promoters of this show claim it’s one of the highest-attended American art shows of the past 15 years. Besides the name recognition, what do you think draws people?
A: I think it’s very personal, and (John) made a point of that in his work. He said, “Look, everything a writer writes is usually very personal. They might write in the third person, but it’s really about themselves.” His artwork is full of love, and it just shows. When you look at the (pieces), you feel very warm.
Q: Does it surprise you how popular it’s gotten after first being dismissed?
A: In the beginning it was really not very easy, and the galleries were not very enthusiastic. But now I think they really want it all the time. Professional people have lithographs from John in their collection. They understand his drawings.
Q: I also know some of the work is for sale, but I can’t imagine it’s cheap.
A: It isn’t, but it’s very important that people would not be given something free. They feel it’s good to buy the work that they love. I really think that’s good because it benefits charities. But I’m always asking them to make the price low for people to buy, even as it keeps on going up.
Q: Is there any new work to be discovered?
A: I keep saying that I’m not going to scrape the bottom of the barrel and get something that is not really good. And so far, that hasn’t happened. I don’t know how much is left, really. He used to read so much, and there are books that have underlines and little drawings in the pages and everything. It’s just so personal, and what I don’t want to do is put everything out at the same time. You have to get some space for the work.
John Wenzel: 303-954-1642 or jwenzel@denverpost.com
Working Class Hero: The Artwork of John Lennon
Visual art. 902 Pearl St. in Boulder. Today- Sunday. 5-9 p.m. today; 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Saturday; 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday. $2 suggested donation. 888-278-1969 or lennonartwork@aol.com.
