THE ART OF BOB DYLAN by
Dave Gordon |
photo
John Shearer
Many know his songs, carved into our hearts
His paintwork had culminated in a collection
since the time the Beatles and Elvis broke onto the
that became a book dubbed Drawn Blank,
music scene. And like those icons, Bob Dylan is a
released in 1994. Six more books of his paintings
music legend himself; but also an artist of many
and drawings would subsequently be published.
facets. His hands play the guitar; less famous, but
Again, Americana as only he could reflect:
no less fascinating are the works of those same
portraits, landscapes, still lifes, and street scenes.
hands that craft paintings and sculpture.
All, which he conceded, created for the purpose
When he’s not in the music studio, he is creating
to “relax and refocus a restless mind.” Harkening
works of art in his Los Angeles metalwork
to the Monet series of haystacks, Dylan’s signature
studio,combining knickknacks, random pieces,
style is to duplicate certain paintings, with the
equipment and other found items from across the
main difference being the colours or tones.
American landscape. In 2013, The Halcyon Gallery
in London displayed his exhibition of wrought
they have for me and patterns can be seen in
iron gates, dubbed Mood Swings. Gracing the
the repeating images – roads, shacks, piers,
design label of his boutique bourbon, Heaven’s
automobiles, streets, bayous, railroad tracks,
Door, are iron gates and metal rods; inspiration
bridges, motels, truck stops, power lines,
from his tactile art.
farmyards, theater marquees, churches, signs
Dylan’s paintbrush has wandered across
and symbols, etc. – all establishing a certain type
canvasses for decades: the face on the cover of
of compositional value. I would say the purpose
his album Self Portrait from 1970, and in 1974, the
is plain, non-experimental or exploratory,” he
charcoal trio of faces on the cover of Planet Waves.
explained.
“I chose images because of the meanings
