A fine art and custom framing studio in Fargo has opened the doors on a two-day exhibit featuring an intimate look into an 18-month span in the life of John Lennon.
The exhibit, titled The Lost Weekend: The Photography of May Pang at Underbrush Gallery in South Fargo, is open from 1-7pm Tuesday and Wednesday, June 9 and 10, with Pang on hand to talk about the photos.
From her start with a talent agency and an interest in music publishing, Pang would go on to be a personal assistant to John Lennon and his wife, Yoko Ono.
"It was funny because they came into town, and the next thing you know, my phone's ringing at my desk, and they said, they're in town to make two movies, and they need people, and you're it. You're one of them. And I said, me? And the two movies were shorts that Yoko had an idea for. "
From that simple beginning, Pang would become Lennon's photographer, assistant, and lover.
"Yes, it did happen. I did not want it. But it was Yoko who came into my office to ask me, not to ask me, to sort of say, 'I think you should go out with him because we're not getting along.' And I'm going, 'but I don't want to. Maybe, you know, somebody else, but not me.' And she goes, 'no, no, no, you'll be good for him.'"
The photos on the exhibit start in late 1973 as the Beatles were breaking up and their company, Apple Corps, was dissolving. It runs through 1975 when Lennon was traveling between London, New York, and Los Angeles as a solo act.
That era would be marked with Hollywood glamour and parties and collaborating with friends in the music industry, although Pang says the emphasis on glamour and parties may have become sensationalized over the years.
Along with the photo exhibit, Pang also has a documentary, "The Lost Weekend: A Love Story." It's available to stream on many platforms.
The Underbrush Gallery exhibit runs from 1-7pm Tuesday and Wednesday of this week.
