Prints of three of John Lennon's rare archival sketches from the Bag One Arts program – I'm One of Your Biggest Fans, The City in My Heart and Happy Xmas– will be released through exclusive exhibitions in key cities across the United State beginning this December, including Los Angeles, Calif. and Las Vegas, Nev. The announcement was made today by Yoko Ono and Epic Rights' CEO Dell Furano.
John Lennon's
artwork celebrates human love and communication – two themes at the
heart of his contribution to the art of the twentieth century. His
iconic Self-Portrait image has become the cornerstone of the
collection.
Offered through the Bag One Arts program, these posthumous,
limited edition prints are adapted from John's original drawings.
The art has been selected from rare archival sketches and is
representative of his whimsical and thought provoking imagery. Each
print is reproduced utilizing the sophisticated and detailed standards
typical for archival fine art printing processes, guided, approved and
hand-signed by Yoko Ono.
The City In My Heart (Eiffel Tower) depicts a romantic memory of John and Yoko's honeymoon in Paris. I'm One of Your Biggest Fans reflects his penchant for witty commentary when greeted by fans. The Happy Xmas tree celebrates peace and the powerful message of Happy Xmas (War Is Over).
The Bag One Arts exhibition opens in Los Angeles at Legacy Fine Art (101 N Robertson Blvd.) on December 12th – 14th and in Las Vegas on December 5th at AFA Gallery at The Fashion Show Mall.
"Introducing
the Bag One Arts program through this unique exhibition continues to
honor John's legacy," said Ono. "The teams at Bag One Arts and Epic
Rights have exceeded my expectations both in terms of the quality of the
prints and their passion in organizing the exhibitions. On a personal
note, I'm especially proud to share John's The City in My Heart print, created during our honeymoon."
In his art, John, songwriter, poet, philosopher and artist,
delivered a consistent message – peace and love. Art was actually his
first love, as he began drawing long before he owned a guitar. He
attended the prestigious Liverpool Art Institute (1957-1960). He
continued to draw throughout his life. Lennon's primary medium was line
drawing, either in pen, pencil, or Japanese sumi ink. His drawings
became illustrations for three bestselling books: In His Own Write (1964), A Spaniard in the Works (1965) and Skywriting By Word of Mouth (1987).
In
addition, a complete suite of the Bag One portfolio of lithographs
resides in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art in New
York. The graphic collection has traveled throughout the U.S., England, Spain, Italy, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Hong Kong and Manila. For more information about Lennon's Bag One Arts exhibitions, visit http://johnlennonartwork.com
About John Lennon and Bag One Arts:Born and raised in Liverpool, England, as a teenager John Lennon
became involved in music, forming his first band, the Quarrymen, which
by 1960 had evolved into The Beatles, the most commercially successful
band in the history of popular music. Lennon was a visual artist before
he picked up his first guitar or wrote his first song. From 1957-60 he
studied at the prestigious Liverpool Art Institute. Later he would not
only pen but also illustrate three books: In His Own Write, A Spaniard In The Works and Skywriting By Word of Mouth. In 1969, as a wedding gift for Yoko, he began working on a series of drawings called Bag One--a
chronicle of their wedding ceremony, honeymoon and plea for world peace
-- The Bed-In. In the years that followed the break-up of The Beatles,
Lennon expressed himself once again through drawing, this time
reflecting his love for his family. Since 1989 Bag One Arts has published a series of limited edition prints of his work, which have traveled throughout the world. The Bag One Portfolio is in the permanent collection of The Museum of Modern Art in New York City. Please check MOMA's schedule for opportunities to view the collection.
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