Cars frontman Ric Ocasek not only has a knack for writing infectious rock songs, but he also happens to be a talented artist. A new exhibition of the veteran singer/guitarist’s artwork called “Ric Ocasek: Color the Lines” will premiere this Saturday, October 21, at Wentworth Gallery in Short Hills, New Jersey.
Ocasek will attend an opening event for the exhibit that runs from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. ET. The collection includes acrylic paintings on canvas and colored-marker drawings on paper.
Ric tells the Asbury Park Press that he feels there are similarities between creating his paintings and drawings and writing songs.
“Both things start with a blank piece of paper,” Ocasek maintains, adding that “having random ideas and kind of putting them together into a finished piece [of music] is almost the same as drawing and painting, well for me because I kind of do abstract stuff.”
Ocasek reveals that among the artists who have influenced him are Russian painter Wassily Kandinsky, pop-art legend Andy Warhol and some Dadaist artists.
Ric also points out that in both music and art, “I was always looking for a crossover between what is pop but also what is legitimate or what is artistic rather than just what is commercial.”
Meanwhile, The Cars recently were nominated for induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2018, after having previously been on the ballot in 2016 and 2017.
“It’s nice to be recognized by your peers, and [get] that little extra thing that says you sort of fall into this group of people who are pretty recognized for their music,” Ocasek tells the Asbury Park Press regarding the nomination. “So in that sense it’s a pretty nice thing to look forward to, if it happens this year.”
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