John Lennon the visual artist in exhibition at Red Gym

You may remember him as The Egg Man, or as The Walrus.

Alone and with others, John Lennon wrote, performed and recorded some of the most mesmerizing and influential music of the 20th century.

A musician, of course. A poet and philosopher, certainly. But some may be surprised to learn that Lennon also was quite a respectable visual artist, and indeed had pursued art before music, attending the Liverpool Art Institute between 1957-60 before the Beatles demanded his full-time attention. Today, museums around the world, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, collect his work.

The Lennon estate and his widow Yoko Ono will bring a sampler of Lennon’s drawings and paintings to the UW–Madison campus from Friday, Nov. 4 through Sunday, Nov. 6. The traveling exhibition, “Come Together,” is made up of more than 100 pieces, including limited edition prints from serigraphs, lithographs, copper etchings and aqua tints; as well as original sketches, signed albums and more.

“Over the last few months I’ve learned that most of this work reflects his message of peace and love. He also reflects on his own life, recalling instances from his daily activities at home, his thoughts for the future or his outlook on the world at large,” says Nancy Sandhu, assistant director of the Campus Information and Visitor Center (CIVC).

In partnership with Downtown Madison, Inc., the CIVC is hosting the exhibition and providing the venue at the Red Gym, 716 Langdon Street. Sandhu predicts that those who attend the display will exit with much deeper insight into Lennon the artist and Lennon the man.

“From what I understand about him, the different portraits he did of himself were dependant on his mood at the time,” she says. “None are exactly the same but all run the full range of emotions that he went through.”

Most of the pieces are from the 1970s, but range from the early 1960s to 1980.

“Apparently, Yoko had given him several sketchbooks as a gift and he filled them up while he was a stay-at-home dad taking care of their son, Sean,” Sandhu says. She adds that Lennon fans should be able to see the relationship between his songs and his visual art.

“Like his songs, his artwork is meant to appeal to the masses,” she says. “It’s simple in style but powerful in its message. Yoko Ono’s group hopes that when people come to the exhibition they will feel connected to one individual who had a profound impact on millions. This show can inspire you, or it can be a meeting place for like-minded people, or it can be a place of reverence for a man who was taken away before his time.”

All proceeds from the $2 at-the-door donation will go to the Dean of Students Crisis Fund. In addition, select pieces of Lennon’s artwork will be for sale in a variety of price ranges.

Visitors to the Lennon exhibition also will have the option to take a tour of the historic Red Gym and learn about other arts opportunities on campus. For more information, contact the CIVC at (608) 263-2400.