May Pang, one of rock ‘n roll’s overlooked muses, is coming to Higgins & Myers Custom Framing and Fine Art Gallery Friday through Sunday from 4-8 p.m. to showcase some of her photos from John Lennon’s “Lost Weekend,” which refers to the time Lennon and Pang spent together in Los Angeles during their 18-month affair.
Pang became Lennon and Yoko Ono’s personal assistant at a young age of 19. However, when Lennon and Ono’s marriage started to fall apart, Ono recruited Pang as Lennon’s temporary lover. During this “Lost Weekend,” Lennon explored L.A.’s vibrant music scene with Pang by his side and reconnected with his estranged son Julian.
Pang’s exhibit will contain three never before seen photos of Lennon, as well 35 other photographs during the affair. According to Pang, the photos she took during this period display Lennon in a relaxed state, in a time when he was sobering up and reconnecting with music.
Pang said that the time the two spent together impacted Lennon’s music, as he would often ask her opinion on songs he was actively working on in the studio. Outside of the music, Pang remembers distinctly the time the two saw what they believed to be a U.F.O.
“It was a special time, and I just wanted to present John how I saw him,” Pang said about her exhibit.
Emily Myers, one of the owners of Higgins & Myers, said that this is the gallery’s first pop-up show, and that she is excited to see it all come together.
“I think that it’s going to be a great opportunity for Beatles fans to get a completely new perspective on John,” Myers said.
However, Pang’s exhibit took some time to come to life. Scott Segelbaum, Pang’s business partner and photo publisher, spent six years trying to convince Pang to showcase her photos. Every time he called, Pang gave him the same response: “I’m not ready yet.”
However, when Pang’s documentary "The Lost Weekend" was released, she realized it was the perfect time to get started with the exhibits.
