Jon Langford & Jim Sherraden’s “Complicated Characters” Exhibit Opens In Los Angeles

Jim Sherraden and Jon Langford

Last night the work of Jon Langford and Jim Sherraden was celebrated at La Luz De Jesus Gallery, which is located inside Wacko, a store selling books and other interesting items. It’s not your typical art gallery, for sure, but Jon Langford and Jim Sherraden are not your typical artists. You probably know Jon Langford from his work in the Mekons, and also his many other bands (The Waco Brothers, The Three Johns, Jon Langford & The Bright Shiners, etc.). But before the Mekons even began, Jon Langford was an art student. The band itself was sort of an art project that took on its own life and has grown into something that is now inescapable, as Jon and Sally Timms will tell you. Jim Sherraden is an artist and printmaker, known for his incredible woodcuts. He’s won several awards for his work. The two artists create work that is truly collaborative, as Jon explained to me last night. They would pass a piece back and forth, each doing different elements – Jon the drawings, Jim the woodcuts – and each making suggestions to the other. And as Jon said later to the crowd in his introduction, he wanted to make art the way he made music, that wonderful collaborative effort resulting in something greater than what either might do on his own. The gallery did include a few pieces that were created just by Jon, and a few that were created just by Jim, which helped show just what each contributed to their collaborations. The work is colorful and exciting, with great detail, and with images that strike at something at our cores and also tell a story. Some of the pieces incorporate the written word as well, and I kept returning to one with lines about friends and an empty sky. Many of the images are in some way related to music.

"The Ballad Of Biscuit And Drogo"

And speaking of music, Jon Langford and Jim Sherraden have written a song about their collaborative effort. They took on alter egos for the project, Jon becoming Father Drogo and Jim becoming Bishop Biscuit, and they dressed for their parts. The song then was titled “The Ballad Of Biscuit And Drogo,” and around 8:30 they performed the song for the audience. They joked about being too old to remember the lyrics, and so a young volunteer held up the lyrics sheet for them. On the line “My friends are all around,” Jon indicated everyone in the room. And there was a sense that we were all friends there. Really, fun is always the name of the game. I’m not sure there is anyone who enjoys this whole ride more than Jon Langford. At least, that’s the feeling I get every time I see him. He reminds us that this thing, this life can be, and should be, goddamn fun. By the way, they performed without microphones or any sound system. It was an unplugged, intimate affair, which of course help lead to that feeling of everyone there being friends. “And now you’ve heard our story/It’s fiction, but it works/But most of all it gives us a chance/To wear these floor-length skirts.”

"The Ballad Of Biscuit And Drogo"

"Dark Sun"

Jim then stepped aside, and Sally Timms joined Jon Langford for a wonderful rendition of “Dark Sun,” a song Jon and Sally wrote together and which was included on Sally’s Cowboy Sally’s Twilight Laments For Lost Buckaroos. Sally at one point corrected Jon when he flubbed a line, which had the audience laughing. But again, the audience was in good spirits already, for that is what these guys do to a crowd every time. Apparently, only those two songs were planned, but Jon suggested they do another and asked Sally if she had her kazoo with her. But of course! While she got it, Jon mentioned how the two of them are trapped in a band called the Mekons. “There is no way out,” he said. Referring to the artwork, Sally quipped, “Blessed be the piece buyers,” and Jon added, “The Mekons shall inherit the Earth.” They then played “Slightly South Of The Border,” with Sally delivering some great stuff on kazoo. Yes, it is possible to rock a kazoo. At least, it’s possible for Sally Timms. The line “Shopping is easy and much can be bought” had an extra meaning, with Jon indicating the art all around us. Again, this was so much fun. “Now get back to looking at the art,” Jon told the crowd when the song was finished. And that’s precisely what everyone did.

"Slightly South Of The Border"

If you missed the opening, you missed a great time, but you still have an opportunity to view (and purchase) Jon Langford and Jim Sherraden’s art. The exhibit will be up until March 2, 2025. The gallery is open Monday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Sunday from 11 to 6. It is located at 4633 Hollywood Blvd., in Los Angeles, California (at the corner of Rodney). By the way, if you own the Jon Langford & The Bright Shiners record Where It Really Starts, then you’ve seen at least one piece the two created, for it graces the album’s cover. Also, for fellow Mekons fans, Jon Langford and Sally Timms will be doing shows both this evening and tomorrow afternoon here in Los Angeles. And The Mekons will be touring this summer.