Q&A: Yoko Ono

by Harry Kollatz Jr.

May 4, 2015

10:30 AM

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Family of Peace by John Lennon

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John Lennon

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Life's Karmic Wheel

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Double Fantasy

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He Tried to Consult the Stars

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Give Peace a Chance

John Lennon’s widow is guiding an exhibition of his work that will have a limited run at Chasen Galleries in Carytown from May 7 to 10. Yoko Ono won’t be here for “The Art of John Lennon,” but she talked with Richmond magazine about how Lennon, once a student of the Liverpool College of Art, never abandoned that interest. The Lennon collection curator, Lynne Clifford, will be in town to speak about his work — perhaps most familiar from the cover of the 1969 Imagine album. (A $5 donation is suggested to benefit FeedMore.) Prior to meeting the Beatles founder, Ono was an artist of renown through her involvement in the mid-1960s Fluxus movement in New York City. After Lennon’s 1980 murder, Ono organized Bag One Arts, which produces limited-edition prints of Lennon’s drawings. “Bag One” was his name for a portfolio of lithographs created to celebrate their marriage and the “bed-in” for peace.

Richmond magazine: Like so many college-age guys, John was in bands — except one turned out to be the Beatles. While managing his huge success in that arena, did he continue to compulsively sketch and draw?

Ono: He was an artist first. He really liked drawing. You see, back then, people didn’t have instruments that they made art with — just pen and paper. It was easy for him to do. I’m very happy putting all these things out. Before John passed away, this is the one thing that he’d always wanted to do.

RM: Was there any artistic influence between the two of you?

Ono: Something might have leaked through our meetings and living together. But what he was doing was already quite established. His drawings have a lot of animation.

RM: He had an exhibit of lithographs in London in 1970. What was the response?

Ono: I think before that he did a kind of installation show. It was very good — but not what you’d call a success [laughs]. Then after that came the lithograph exhibition, and pieces of it were confiscated by Scotland Yard because it was supposed to be erotic. But because it was John, that had a lot to do with it. When he started doing this, it was bumpy in a way. People said, “Oh, it’s just a rock star having fun.” They didn’t take it seriously. His work is so much fun, and there’s a sense of humor. A lot of works in art galleries in museums are very serious. There’s not much room in them for laughter.

RM: What’s the wish you have for people’s experiences of John’s work?

Ono: I think each one will have a different take on it. John always took an incredibly lighthearted approach. Sometimes, he couldn’t do that with music.

RM: Are there other members of the family who have this artistic inclination, and will there be other shows coming?

Ono: My mother was a full-fledged artist. John’s and my son [Sean] is an incredible artist. When he goes on a tour, he’ll draw all the things he was doing and what’s going on around him. I think he’s too shy to [exhibit] that at this point. It’s better he not rush it.