A Rock and Roll Hall of Famer who had a string of classic hits in the 1970s and 1980s is touring again, but this time with his art.
Ric Ocasek, co-founder, guitarist and singer of The Cars, has used art as a way to unwind since his youth.
"Everything that's down here is just stuff I'm thinking of when I'm drawing," he said. "You know it's just like, sort of meditative."
But until now, his drawings have never been displayed.
“It’s kind of shocking to me because I just sort of kept them in a drawer for all these years,” he said.
The owner of Wentworth Galleries, Christian O’Mahony, convinced Ocasek to take his drawings out of the drawer and share them with the public.
“He’s probably one of the most creative people I’ve ever met,” he said.
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"The colors that he uses are just full of life,” he said.
Ocasek got his first break in music in Ohio, but he said he has strong ties to D.C., including producing an album for D.C. punk band Bad Brains.
“Just the sheer crazy energy of it," he said. "The speed, the musicianship, just the whole show. Everything about it, it was just phenomenal.”
In April, Ocasek and The Cars will be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
But Friday night and Saturday night you can meet him and check out his art in its premiere presentation, “Ric Ocasek: Abstract Reality.”
