Drawn Blank

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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. As a fine-artist, Bob Dylan began drawing in the 1960's to pass time whilst recovering from a motorbike crash. His work was first brought to public attention in 1994 with the publication of the Drawn Blank book, a compilation of drawings and sketches made between 1989 and 1992 whilst on tour in America, Asia and Europe.

Infused with the radiant light of Provence and displayed in Château La Coste’s Renzo Piano-designed art gallery, this exhibition presents 23 unseen canvases from The Drawn Blank Series, an important collection of Bob Dylan’s work created between 2007-2009 . 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 . 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. DISPLAY– Requires approx. 100-110 linear meters (325-375 linear feet), depending on the installation. During the last six decades he has released more than 50 albums and written in excess of 500 songs, some of the most famous being ‘Blowin’ In The Wind’, ‘The Times They Are A-Changin ’’ and ‘Like A Rolling Stone’, which were visually reimagined for the first time in his Mondo Scripto collection. His songs have been covered more than 6,000 times by artists as diverse as Duke Ellington, Jimi Hendrix, Guns N’ Roses, Stevie Wonder, Rod Stewart, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Bob Marley, Pearl Jam, Neil Young, Adele and U2.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.

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. In short, if you are looking for a return over the short to medium term, other artists outperform Bob Dylan. The Drawn Blank Series focuses on three years of Dylan’s artistic career, from 1989 to 1992. The works were drawn whilst touring America, Europe and Asia and reveal a personal insight into “a life lived out of a suitcase” [Andrew Graham-Dixon].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. Museum curators are provided with extensive information and may curate the exhibition to their specifications.

In 2011, New York based gallery Gagosian held an exhibition of Dylan's Asia Series of controversial acrylic paintings. Whilst travelling on tour between 1989 and 1992, Bob Dylan created a collection of drawings that were published in a book entitled 'Drawn Blank' in 1994. These expressive works capture Dylan's chance encounters and observations. The creation of these portraits, interiors, landscapes, still lifes, nudes and street scenes were done to "relax and refocus a restless mind".Ingrid Mössinger - the curator of the Kunstsammlungen Museum, in Chemnitz, Germany - came across Drawn Blank' during a visit to New York in 2006. 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 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. 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. In June, Dylan released his 39th studio album, Rough and Rowdy Ways. An international sensation, the album hit the Top Ten in 15 countries, including #1 chart entries in the Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. The Guardian called the album a 'testament to his eternal greatness', while the LA Times dubbed it a 'savage pulp noir masterpiece'. Bob Dylan was one of the foremost figures of the beat generation. His music spoke of a time of great social change. Songs such as "The Times Are a-Changin" and "Blowing In The Wind" have immortalised an era for the enjoyment and inspiration of future generations.Collection is comprehensive, covering a substantial part of the artist’s body of work making it capable of serving as a stand-alone exhibition.