American Dreams; paintings by John Mellencamp

Augusta, GA: Morris Museum of Art, 2015. Paperback. Good. Mellencamp, John. Quarto, 73 pages. Firm binding; no loose pages. Book and cover with minor wear. Pages inside appear clean and unmarked. John J. Mellencamp (1951 - present), is an Indiana born singer-songwriter who has also been known as Johnny Cougar, John Cougar, and John Cougar Mellencamp. His style is a catchy brand of heartland rock emphasizing traditional instrumentation. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2008 and the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2018. John Mellencamp also began to paint in 1980, mostly portrait work influenced by the art of Otto Dix and Max Beckmann. Mellencamp's influence by the German Expressionism of the early 20th century serves as the foundation of his style. Mellencamp's paintings document America's heart and soul, which reveals unsettling but beautiful truths with a rich sense of narrative. Mellencamp's visual art, as is his music, is carefully composed through the structural requirements of harmony, rhythm and order, and are in line with the small-town, earnest voice of the heartland.