London’s Halycon Gallery, situated in the elegant Mayfair district, features Bob Dylan’s first paintings on canvas. The exhibition opens one day before Valentine’s day and runs through April 10th.
Inspiration
Bob Dylan has been regarded as many a thing. Singer, songwriter, poet, political activist, writer, director, and all around genius. However, the man with many hats is gearing up to don yet another cap—one with quite the feather, some may note.
Emerging from his time spent on the road from 1989-1992, Dylan’s work speaks to what caught the artist’s eye during that period.
"I just draw what’s interesting to me, and then I paint it” states Dylan, also disclosing how he transforms what he sees to characterize what he perceives. “Rows of houses, orchard acres, lines of tree trunks, could be anything. I can take a bowl of fruit and turn it into a life and death drama. Women are power figures, so I depict them that way. I can find people to paint in mobile home communities. I could paint bourgeois people too.” says Dylan to the Halycon Gallery.
His paintings evoke nuances of former artists such as Vincent Van Gogh, Andy Warhol, and Emile Bernard. Nonetheless, the singer is quick to dismiss suggestions that his work carries the implications of the preceding artists.
"I’m not trying to make social comment or fulfil somebody’s vision and I can find subject matter anywhere. I guess in some way that comes out of the folk world that I came up in."
Paintings Part of an Ongoing Instalment
Bob Dylan on Canvas is a closing chapter originating from its predecessor, The Drawn Blank Series, where Dylan concentrated his artistic outpouring on a paper medium. This new gallery is a metaphoric progression insinuated by his move from paper to canvas.
Paul Green, President of the Halcyon Gallery, commented: “These paintings are the culmination of everything Dylan has done with The Drawn Blank Series so far, signalling a new phase in the artist's career. The evolution of medium, from paper to canvas, has been an important development resulting in a creative explosion which has given greater meaning to the paintings. Bob Dylan on Canvas is the grand finale of the Drawn Blank years and the precursor of the new 'Brazil' series in which Dylan explores the canvas further.”
His upcoming series, Brazil, is expected to be unveiled at the prestigious Statens Museum for Kunst in Copenhagen.
Criticisms
Those who have already had an opportunity to witness Dylan’s paintings share mixed reactions. Some assert that his creations are wild, unguarded and beautiful in their quivering naturalness. Yet, others are comparing the exhibit’s pieces to amateur art student recreations of Van Gogh and Warhol.
Art of Work
Undoubtedly, Bob Dylan has endeavoured to achieve his status as a cultural icon. He remains a significant public figure with enough notches to span a dozen belts. However, this time, the reputations that herald him may wind-up hampering him in the end.
See Also: A Beginner's Guide to Bob Dylan
Yasmin Fayaz - Yasmin Fayaz is a 20-year-old, third-year university student and freelance writer who enjoys analyzing miscellaneous facets of current ...
Join the Conversation