here comes the art

Rare showing of John Lennon's art comes together at Houston gallery

John Lennon's work as a visual artist takes center stage at Off the Wall Gallery.

Images Courtesy of Yoko Ono © Yoko Ono

A rare showing of artwork by the late, legendary Beatles guitarist John Lennon will be on display for a limited time at Off the Wall Gallery in The Galleria. Dubbed Give Peace a Chance - The Art of John Lennon, the showing will be open from August 20 to September 7.

“From the unique perspective of our Art Gallery, John Lennon, a music icon, is often seen as a multifaceted artist,” Off the Wall principal and gallerist Mimi Sperber-Wasserberg tells CultureMap. “His visual work, often overshadowed by his music, provides a distinct view of his complex personality, beliefs, and artistic vision. Understanding Lennon as a songwriter and visual artist enhances the audience's appreciation for his creative output. This grasp attracts a broader audience, including music and art enthusiasts, who may be less familiar with this aspect of his work. This expanded reach can reignite interest in Lennon's entire artistic legacy. Furthermore, his visual art challenges preconceived notions and encourages more profound engagement with the intricate relationship between music, art, and the artist's life.”

Lennon is mostly famous for his work with the Beatles and as a solo artist, penning such hits as “Imagine” and “Strawberry Fields Forever.” However, Lennon attended the Liverpool Art Institute in the late 1950s, and eventually focused heavily on visual arts as the Beatles wound down. In 1969, he gifted his wife, Yoko Ono, with a portfolio of artwork as a wedding present. He died in 1980, shot by a deranged fan.

John Lennon Art Off the Wall Gallery The works focus on Lennon's themes of peace and human communication.Images Courtesy of Yoko Ono © Yoko Ono

The pieces in the showing are lighthearted and open, focusing on Lennon’s themes of peace and human communication. The works show a light side to the often controversial artist, leaning heavily into human figure doodles and animal scenes.

While the originals are not for sale, the showing is offering extremely limited-edition prints approved by the John Lennon Estate for public purchase. Each is meticulously crafted to the estate and Ono’s standards and feature an embossed signature from Lennon. They come with a certificate of authenticity, establishing them as a part of a limited run. It’s a unique chance to own a part of the artistic legacy of one of the foremost promoters of peace and love in popular culture.

“Lennon's themes of love and communication are more relevant than ever in today's world,” says Sperber-Wasserberg. “While our times are marked by challenges such as climate change, political division, and technological isolation, the core human need for connection and understanding remains constant. Lennon's music and art offer a beacon of hope. His belief in the power of human connection reminds us that even in the darkest times, love and understanding can prevail, so let’s all give peace a chance!”

Hours and more information can be found on Off the Wall’s website.

blooming in spring

Houston development blossoms with colorful installation from U.K. artists

Photo provided by Public Content

Graphic Rewilding (Lee Baker and Catherine Borowski) one one of their Flower Cloud benches in City Place.

The City Place mixed-use development in Spring has become one of the most active outdoor art installation galleries in Houston, and definitely the most dynamic one north of the loop. Thanks to an agreement signed with Weingarten Art Group last year, they've installed several pop-up art projects, such as the virtual waterfall designed by Montreal-based art studio Iregular.

Now, they've added another international construction, this time via London-based Graphic Rewilding. Flower Clouds is a series of benches that are made to highlight local floral species. Lee Baker (the artist) and Catherine Borowski (the curator and producer), made a special trip to Houston to study native flowers before beginning the commision.

“That is one of the gratifying things about work: People often tell us they’re seeing nature through new eyes,” Borowski said. “This is art that is rooted in a place, but for some, this can be an entirely new way of looking at the immediate world around them.”

Graphic Rewilding has done most of their work in their native United Kingdom. All of their pieces have ties to nature, something inspired by Borowski's obsession with a deserted parking garage near her London estate home. She imagined the lifeless concrete covered in a lush garden.

Baker, who hand draws all the art, incorporates massive flowers into cityscapes. Usually, the flowers dwarf people in comparative size, reducing viewers to the size of ants and de-emphasizing the scale of the building around the installations. It's a stunning way to re-contextualize nature as something strong and equal to industrial progress, a sentiment captured perfectly in Flower Clouds.

“We both believe in the power of public art. In this case, to bring nature and its emotional connections to unexpected urban spaces,” Baker said. “Even a depiction of flowers has the ability to emotionally reconnect the viewer with and have empathy for the sensory powers of the natural world.”

Flower Clouds consists of seven benches located at 1250 Lake Plaza Drive (Spring). The sizes vary due to the nature of the flowers, but each is around six feet tall and ten feet wide. Twenty-five Texas species of flowers, vegetables, birds, and insects are depicted, making the pieces educational as well as striking.

Graphic Rewilding previously staged a version of Flower Clouds at Kensington and Chelsea Art Week in London in 2023. This is the fourth pop-up installation created by the partnership between City Place and Weingarten Art Group. Flower Cloud will be on display through July 27, with a month-long hiatus in May.

visual-art city place