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Wildcat File Photo Arizona Daily Wildcat

Your way of life is about to be threatened. Culture is coming to the Tucson Mall.

Beginning today, the largest touring art exhibition in North America will be on display in an in-line space converted into a makeshift gallery within the mall. But, hey, even the artistically-challenged should be able to appreciate this exhibit. It's called "The Art of John Lennon," and it features, um, the art of John Lennon.

There will be over 300 works in the exhibit, spanning a large part of the career of the man who was both a legendary Beatle and a brilliant solo artist, before his untimely death at the hands of a madman. Amongst the featured artwork will be hand-signed lithographs from Lennon's infamous Bag One series. Lennon created the series as his wedding gift to Yoko Ono in 1970, depicting important moments in their lives. Seven of the 15 lithographs featured non-erotic scenes, but it was the remaining eight which caused Lennon a great deal of consternation when he originally attempted to show them to the public, only to have the police raid the exhibit and confiscate the artwork, declaring it obscene.

Most of the art on display is done in pen and ink, Lennon's primary medium, including work done in Japanese Sumi ink, a difficult tool to master. A lot of Asian influence is present in Lennon's work - he spent a lot of time in Japan, and even went through a period known by enthusiasts as his "Japanese Dictionary Period," during which he taught himself the language by drawing a picture and painting the character representing the picture to accompany it.

There will only be three originals on display, which curator Richard Horowitz explained is due to the fact that the insurance company isn't comfortable with too much original artwork being out on the road. Two of the pieces, "Man That Knows All" and "Easy To Draw Picture," are from the Japanese Dictionary period, while the third is a work entitled "Import/Export." The original lithographs from the Bag One series are part of the permanent collection at the Museum of Modern Art in New York.

Other items in the exhibit include 20 songs in Lennon's handwriting - 10 Beatles songs, 10 solo, and a number of limited edition prints.

"The Art of John Lennon" is being presented by Pacific Edge Gallery of California, along with Yoko Ono, although Ono will not be in town for the show.

Horowitz explained that Ono's appearance often takes away from, rather than benefits, the exhibit. "The art sort of becomes secondary, because so many people are there to get her autograph that the art gets lost. It's really a madhouse," he said.

Regardless, a large turnout is expected for the event, which runs through Sunday only. Catalogs will be available, and all the work is available for purchase, although it may be slightly out of the average student's price range - the signed lithographs, for example, range in price from $2,000 to $12,000.