''Crossroads: The Paintings of John Mellencamp''

The Sidney and Lois Eskenazi Museum of Art (named after two philanthropists) at Indiana University Bloomington has an exhibit called Crossroads: The Paintings of John Mellencamp. It runs through the 15th of December, and the museum's Genevieve Risner shared details with the Art and Music Guide.

AAMG: Some pieces look like actual people: are they? Certainly 'Melvis II' seems to be a self-portrait of the singer, merged with Elvis Presley.

GR: Yes, some are of people from John's life, himself, or Americana icons. The list includes James Dean, John Wayne, and ''Maggie'' (Meg Ryan). John also paints ''fantasy portraits'' [as dubbed by the student curators]. These are unidentified subjects that seem close yet far, like Wendy Kuhn, which is possibly a reimaging of painter Walt Kuhn. In others, like Jill, I have not been able to identify the subject.

AAMG: Is John appearing at any related events?

GR: The university will be unveiling a statue in honor of John this fall; I assume he will be in attendance, but do not have further details.

AAMG: Has John been painting as long as he has played music, and did he receive any training?

GR: Since the 1970s, when he arrived in New York City [from Indiana] to pursue a career in music and art, Mellencamp has created works of art that express a conflicted view of America, especially the plight of Americans living in the Midwest who have felt abandoned and overlooked. [In related developments, John will perform at the 2024 Farm Aid festival in Saratoga Springs, NY, on the 21st of September]. 

GR: I am not certain if he received training, but it is visually certain in his work on display from the '90s to now that there is an evolution in his work.