Bob Dylan - The Drawn Blank Series
Bob Dylan's paintings come to Bondi - all tangled up in blue, yellow, red, and green
By Gemma Fox
As if Robert Zimmerman hadn't gifted enough beauty to the world over
a 46-year recording career, now Sydney fans have the chance to see the
Bard's efforts in the visual art field. Dylan made a series of drawings
and sketches while on his "never-ending tour" in America, Europe and
Asia between 1989 and 1992, and the results were published as a book, Drawn Blank, in 1994.
Last year curator Ingrid Moessinger came across the book and
contacted Dylan with a view to exhibiting the original works at her
gallery in Chemnitz, Germany. Instead of simply handing over the
drawings the multi-talented Dylan set about completing them in
watercolour and gouache. "I was fascinated to learn of Ingrid's
interest in my work, and it gave me the impetus to realise the vision I
had for these drawings many years ago," Dylan said at the time.
New
Sydney gallery 28 Spring Street in Bondi Junction will display the
works, which arrive following shows in Chemnitz and at Halcyon Gallery
in London. "We were lucky to get some of them," says gallery owner and
artist Andrew Hmelnitsky. "We have acquired 28 of the signed graphics.
They depict a range of different, everyday-life things that Dylan has
experienced while he has been on tour. His artwork has a bit of a
darkness about it and reflects an introspective feeling on life."
The portraits, interiors, landscapes, still lifes, nudes and street
scenes, which are not a million miles away from the work of Henri
Matisse, are each part of a worldwide edition of 295 giclée prints.
They're available for sale and each has been signed by the artist. If
you're interested in seeing Dylan's doodling - or even, dare we say,
"bringing it all back home" - then be quick.
Drawn Blank runs 31 Oct-19 Nov at 28 Spring St Gallery, Bondi Junction.