Lennon’s art all about peace, Ono says

A display of John Lennon’s artwork — coming to Oak Brook this weekend — once caused quite a stir in that suburb.

It was 1970. Five erotic lithographs by Lennon, on display at the time at the Merrill Chase Art Gallery in Oak Brook, were deemed “obscene” by a DuPage County judge, who ordered them confiscated and burned.

Yoko Ono, Lennon’s 79-year-old widow, laughs now at the memory.

“The world and life has changed so much,” she said in a phone interview. “We are not dumb now. We don’t take away people’s art because someone considers it to be a bit naughty.”

Some of his work — “naughty” and not — returns to Oak Brook this weekend for “The Artwork of John Lennon” at the Doubletree by Hilton. The traveling exhibit/sale features about 100 limited edition prints of drawings, sketches and song-lyric sheets created by the legendary musician and former Beatle from the 1960s until his death in 1980. Some were colorized in later years.

Decades later, Lennon’s artwork continues to inspire the world to search for peace and love, insists Ono.

“John is still here, monitoring things,” she said. “His dream was always for peace — we have to make it happen. All of John’s art relates to peace and love. Over the last 30 years, whenever I have exhibited anything John created, I knew I couldn’t have done it by myself. John is still with me. He is still with all of us.”

Visitors will see Lennon’s message to “join us” on the quest for world peace, Ono added.

They can also purchase prints, which start at $200.

“People will leave feeling ‘up’ ... feeling better about themselves and the world,” Ono said of the exhibit.

Though Lennon is best known for his music, he was an artist before he was a musician, Ono said.

“John fell in love with rock and roll while in art school,” Ono said. “Art meant a lot to John. He was always drawing and painting. I think drawing was his security blanket.”

Some of his works are simple self-portraits. In one sketch, entitled “Cloud 9,” Lennon sits on a cloud, between his guitar and Ono, while the sun shines brightly above them.

In another whimsical painting, a bright pink elephant sits in bed, counting sheep. Lennon titled the work simply, “An Elephant Counting.”

“John was always into humor, and he used a lot of humor in his art,” Ono said.

Rudy Siegel of Legacy Fine Art & Productions, the company presenting the traveling Lennon exhibit in conjunction with Ono, said many people don’t realize that the former Beatle was an artist.

“Even after all these years, some people are still surprised that he was an artist — and they are surprised at how prolific he was in his artwork,” Siegel said.

“There is a lot to look at,” Siegel said of “The Artwork of John Lennon.” “The exhibit is music for the eyes. It’s everything you ever thought he was through his music. It’s Lennon. It’s John.”

“The Artwork of John Lennon” exhibit and sale

When: Noon to 8 p.m. Friday, June 1; 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday, June 2; 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday, June 3

Where: DoubleTree by Hilton Chicago-Oak Brook, 1909 Spring Road, Oak Brook

Price: Free admission, but a $2 donation is requested to benefit Gilda’s Club Chicago. The organization assists men, women and children who are diagnosed with cancer with a variety of services. For show information, call (888) 278-1969.