Hearne: ‘Seductive’ Lawrence Artist Kim Kern Unleashes @ Hobbs Tonight

Did you know today is Final Friday in Lawrence?

That’s right, and while I’m more than a little over First Fridays, Tasty Tuesdays, Manic Mondays, Final Fridays and the like, there’s something worth noting going down today on this catchy, if contrived-sounding, pseudo holiday.

Because head shop owner turned artist Kim Kern has rounded up a passel of his PG13, pop culture paintings and lithos and is displaying them tonight from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Hobbs downtown.

Never heard of Kim Kern? Take a number.

“He’s an old Lawrence guy who used to own a lifestyle store here called Fields,” says Hobbs main man Mark Swanson. “He was an established retailer since the late 1960s who sold his business in the early 2000s and now he’s a painter – he’s an artist.”

What to expect?

“I think his art comes from a real seductive aspect,” Swanson says. “He likes the female body. And he grew up in the 1950s and 1960s, so he’s got that mid century appreciation. Like his James Bond is early James Bond, Sean Connery. And when Kennedy got shot, it was a big deal in his life and he shows it in this exhibit. One of his paintings is Jackie and JFK arriving in Dallas the day he got shot. And another is Oswald getting shot. And he’s got the Lone Ranger and Star Trek with William Shatner.

“The best one is Superman where he’s X Ray visioning a girl. Every adolescent’s wish was that they could be Superman so they could see through girl’s clothes. I mean, that was the whole enchilada.”

In honor of the retro nature of the event, Swanson will be serving chips (not enchiladas) and Cherry Cokes. Kern’s art ranges in price from $2,200 to $4,500 for the paintings and $25 to $125 for lithos.

Be there or…