His brushstrokes are like his voice: straightforward, rough, occasionally fragile. He's not after artistic perfection but something larger, a moment, a feeling. The effect is enthralling.” In 2011, New York based gallery Gagosian held an exhibition of Dylan's Asia Series of controversial acrylic paintings. When Dylan first drew the works in this series he had intended to create paintings based upon them. Ingrid Mössinger’s proposed exhibition encouraged him to now do this using watercolour and gouache. “I was fascinated to learn of Ingrid’s interest in my work and it gave me impetus to realize the vision I had many years on” commented Bob Dylan. These paintings formed the collection entitled The Drawn Blank Series . Not only are some of Dylan’s earlier shows not yet entirely sold out — a good indicator of a print’s investment value — but his work also sells for less or the same as its original gallery costs on the secondary market. He’s celebrated across the globe for his revolutionary music, with the Independent newspaper naming him ‘the most important figure in pop-culture history’ in 2011. But it isn’t just songs like ‘Blowin’ in the Wind’ and ‘Mr. Tambourine Man’ that have made Bob Dylan one of the world’s most influential people; his foray into fine art continues to take centre stage.

Since releasing his debut studio album, Bob Dylan, in 1962, Dylan's cultural influence has extended beyond music to encompass art and literature. In 2016, he became the first songwriter to win the Nobel Prize in Literature for 'having created new poetic expressions within the great American song tradition'. Such is his effect on wider culture that 'Dylanology' - the study of Dylan's work - has canonised his songwriting, poetry and art for new generations to dissect and interpret. At Harvard University, Dylan's work is taught by its Professor of the Classics, Richard F. Thomas, alongside the Roman poets Ovid and Virgil. Capturing passing snapshots of life on the road, anonymous figures and hidden-away places, the paintings are based on images sketched by Dylan, reflecting his travels in Europe and America between 1989-1991. The diverse scenes – still-life, landscape, cityscape, seascape, or portrait – are enlivened with Dylan’s varied perspectives and bursts of intense, piercing colour. Compositions of earthy tones alongside soaring blues unite select groupings of paintings, irrespective of subject matter.Bob Dylan's art is a glimpse of the world through his eyes. These paintings show a man on the periphery, constantly peering in, observing and are somewhat telling of life on tour. Views of hotel rooms, car parks and awkward looking people in bars are just some of the subjects he paints. The exhibition is curated by Ms. Katharine J. Wright, Consulting Curator EXHIBITION MATERIALS– High resolution images, captions, wall texts. Upon their first release in the Drawn Blank book in 1994, Dylan’s sketches wowed critics and viewers alike with their confident hand and raw honesty. Capturing his chance encounters and observations whilst on tour, the release of The Drawn Blank Seriesin 2008 marked his UK fine art debut. The artist’s journeys between cities and towns are personified by his Expressionist lines, which capture the instant moment of a place, person and time. Repeated motifs encourage the viewer to explore the depths of colour and the evolution of his work.His art has been likened to that of Pablo Picasso, with critics applauding the relatability of his collections. He paints mostly from life, stating: "I’m pretty much interested in people, histories, myth, and portraits; people of all stripes."

Upon their first release in the Drawn Blank book in 1994, Dylan’s sketches wowed critics and viewers alike with their confident hand and raw honesty. Capturing his chance encounters and observations whilst on tour, the release of The Drawn Blank Series in 2008 marked his UK fine art debut. More than a decade later, Dylan was approached by the Chemnitz Art Gallery in Germany with a request to mount an exhibition of his sketches and drawings. It was the first time he had an offer of this kind and accepted. This interest in his work inspired him to revisit his art and prompted the creation of 320 new pieces. These new creations were subsequently used for the exhibition and make up the Drawn Blank series today. hese paintings formed a collection entitled 'The Drawn Blank Series'. Unlike the delicacy of the drawings in 'Drawn Blank' the paintings are expressive and vibrant. Dylan paints several versions of the same image, using different colours and tones which result in a dynamic variety of impressions, feelings and emotions.This choice and skill in applying different colour arrangements to the same original drawing enables Dylan to express his feelings and perceptions of an idea or view - continually evoking different feelings and reactions, and thereby creating evolving works of art. This technique is intrinsic to Dylan in all aspects of his creative life. Dylan dates the origins of his work as a visual artist to the early 1960s. A few drawings reached the public gaze with album covers like Music from Big Pink(1968) and Self Portrait(1970). In 1974, Dylan spent two seminal months studying art with Ashcan School tutor Norman Raeben, who philosophised the importance of 'perceptual honesty' - painting life as it as seen, not imagined.Dylan says of this time: "He put my mind and my hand and my eye together, in a way that allowed me to do consciously what I unconsciously felt." Museum curators are provided with extensive information and may curate the exhibition to their specifications.

Bob Dylan created a collection of drawings that were published in a book entitled Drawn Blank in 1994. These expressive works captured Dylan’s chance encounters and observations whilst travelling on tour between 1989 and 1992, creating portraits, land and cityscapes, interiors, nudes and still life were done to “relax and refocus a restless mind”. Painting several versions of the same image using different colours and tones result in a dynamic variety of impressions, feelings and emotions. The choice and skill applying a different colour arrangement to the same original drawing enable Dylan to express hi feeling and perception of an idea or a view, continually evoking different feelings and reactions and thus creating evolving works of art. Since his first exhibition, Dylan has been producing art more and more prolifically, especially as the pandemic brought his constant touring to a sudden halt. Just like his music, Bob Dylan’s art is inspired by a wide range of sources — with pieces drawing on trends from French Impressionism, German Expressionism, surrealism, cubism and even Film Noir-esque aesthetics.

Born Robert Allen Zimmerman, he would introduce himself as "Bob Dylan" during his early performances, a change inspired by his favorite poet Dylan Thomas. In an interview, Dylan said: "You're born, you know, the wrong names, wrong parents. I mean, that happens. You call yourself what you want to call yourself. This is the land of the free." In 2019, he held his retrospective Retrospectrum exhibition at MAM Shanghai, which went on to open at Today's Art Museum in Beijing in July 2020. Featuring his artistic output to date, the tour will cover Asia, Europe and the USA. Throughout the series, viewers may recognise echoes of Dylan's music, as he translates his lyrical sensibility onto the canvas. His portrayal of human figures, cityscapes, and landscapes exudes a distinctive sense of fleeting moments frozen in time, inviting viewers to dive into the soul of the portrayed subjects and experience their narratives. Drawing upon a diverse range of subjects, Bob Dylan's Drawn Blank series showcases his masterful use of line, form, and colour, which exudes a sense of introspection and emotional depth. Comprising sketches, watercolours, and gouaches, the collection is a vibrant interplay of vivid hues and subtle shades, evoking a palpable sense of movement and life. The Drawn Blank series reveals the artist's penchant for experimentation and spontaneity, with each brushstroke imbued with a raw and visceral energy. While Dylan's artistic style may appear deceptively simple at first glance, it is this very unpretentiousness that allows the observer to connect deeply with the essence of his compositions.A landmark retrospective exhibition, Retrospectrum, featuring Dylan’s artistic output to date opened at MAM Shanghai, before beginning a tour that will cover Asia, Europe and the USA. The exhibition, which later opened at Today’s Art Museum in Beijing and the Jupiter Museum of Art in Shenzhen, re-examined The Drawn Blank Series, The New Orleans Series, Mood Swings, The Beaten Path, and works from Mondo Scripto. DISPLAY– Requires approx. 100-110 linear meters (325-375 linear feet), depending on the installation.