John Mellencamp photographed on Oct. 20, 2015 at ACA Galleries in New York, where his Big Apple exhibition, "The Isolation of Mister," is on display through Dec. 19.
'The Battle of Angels'"We were married 20 years and we got divorced," Mellencamp says of ex-wife Elaine Irwin (whom he references in his painting). "She’s a great gal, a really great gal. We loved each other a lot but… 'The Battle of Angels' is also a Tennessee Williams play. It just made sense to use that title."
'The Stardust Sisters'"I like this painting, although the subject doesn’t like it. That’s Meg Ryan. Meg and I were together for five years. That’s Laura Dern right next to her. They’re best friends. And I think they both thought that it was gonna be not what it turned out to be. So I don’t know that Meg ever liked this painting very much but I did. I spent a lot of time on this painting. Weeks and weeks and weeks and weeks."
'Why Are U Angry'Mellencamp's 2012 painting is displayed at the ACA Galleries. Prices for the artwork range from $2,500 to $40,000.
For Art's Sake"I paint for myself," says Mellencamp. "Somebody asked me earlier -- it was kind of an insulting question -- 'Do you paint for the people who might buy your paintings?' I was like, 'Are you kidding me?' I never consider that."
'Slate'"That’s my granddaughter. Her name is Slate. That was my name when I was born and then they changed it," says Mellencamp. "Anyway, she’s got very big hands [in the painting] because she’s gonna reach out and do something with her life. And, as you can see, she’s got the world on a string."
No Smiles Necessary"Shiny, happy people?" says Mellencamp about the lack of smiling faces in his artwork. "I'll let R.E.M. make those paintings."
Garage Sale"I want my paintings to look like they were found in a garage," says Mellencamp. "If they get a scratch or a hole in them, it just becomes part of the painting."
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