Customer Reviews

Bob Dylan: The Drawn Blank Series

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I was lucky enough to be in Germany during this exhibit and see it live. I also purchased the book there and have reviewed it several times. It includes the 170 works displayed at the Kunstsammlungen Chemnitz from October 2007 to March 2008 and three thoughtful essays that examine the works from several perspectives.

Ninety-two of the works were based on drawings published in 1994 as Drawn Blank. The museum director, Ingrid Mossinger, saw some of his drawings in the fall of 2006 at New York's Morgan Library (Bob Dylan's American Journey, 1956-1966) and was so captivated that she sought out a copy of the out-of-print book. In the book, Dylan said that one day he wanted to turn these into larger color paintings. So, she made contact and asked if he'd like to exhibit them.

Somehow Dylan managed to have the drawings transferred to deckle-edged paper and paint them using watercolor and goaches. The result was 322 paintings produced in just eight months - eight months during which he also was touring! From these, 170 were selected for the exhibit.

The works include interiors (dressing rooms, hotel rooms, etc.), cityscapes, landscapes, still lifes, and portraits - all captured in drawings he made between 1989 and 1992 as he toured the world performing. For many of the drawings, there are multiple versions using different colors that give you varied impressions of the scene. Much like Dylan's reinterpretations of his songs, these alternative versions reflect different ways of viewing the work.

The essays also provoke different ways of thinking about the works. Frank Zollner, focusing on the cityscapes as seen through a window or door, suggests that these works indicate a "certain restlessness, as the simulated gaze is that of a seeker." He draws on Chronicles to illustrate how Dylan thinks of art and how his words often create word pictures. In his view the pictures reflect an internal restlessness and a calm outside world.

Diane Widmaier Picasso (granddaughter of Pablo Picasso) traces the influence of Norman Raeben, one of Dylan's art teachers, as well as the Cubists and German Expressionists known as The Bridge. She notes that, "Just as the meaning of certain Dylan songs is sometimes obscure, since his texts seek not to have a fixed sense but rather to describe sentiments, to develop impressions beyond words (acquiring, like an abstract painting, meanings which vary with the mood of the recipient, yet still preserving a strong identity), so too his drawings can be similarly understood as they also reflect work which purposely refuses to be 'honed'."

Jens Rosteck, focusing on Dylan as a "multi-talent," examines the stylistic turns Dylan has taken with his music and his artistic endeavors into literature, film, and painting. He describes him as a rare "universal artist" capable of synthesizing diverse art genres, comparing his approach to da Vinci, Goethe, and others.

I was struck by a sense of detachment, even isolation or loneliness, as I viewed the exhibit. Dylan, the most sensitive and keen observer of life I know, once again in another medium, challenges me to think about how we live in this world.

If the exhibit ever comes near you, I encourage you to see it. In the meantime, this book is a wonderful catalogue of the works of this great artist.

Bob Dylan has been painting for decades and his abstract post-modern folk art style does him well. He shows us a seemingly unsophisticated yet highly evocative presence in his images with the door wide open to interpretation, like much of his poetic lyric. These often haunting pieces speak to me as the will not to you and vice versa - as well they should. Understand however, like his music, Dylan's art is an acquired taste and definitely not for everyone. I paid half the price the museums are charging for this book and I am sure have gotten twice the value from it.

I was surprised at how good both paper and print quality is. Also, each drawing is showed in multible versions.

- Marc

This is a beautiful book.....it was a Christmas gift for a huge Bob Dylan lover.

If I could have afforded a lithograph I would have, however the pictures in the book are awesome. The only draw back is the fact that it is in German! I can't find where or if it was printed in English....would be nice to read about all the prints!!?? So in other words a great conversation piece none the less.

We are baby boomers and huge fans of Bob Dylan's music. We were pleasantly surprised to see he has substantial art talent too. We really enjoy the book. It is beautifully done.

Enjoyed both the original drawings & the new colorized interpretations. Always interesting to share a glimpse inside the mind of a genius.

What an incredible artist he is...in so many ways. A poet, musician, philosopher, artist, humanitarian. I'm looking for a book of photography yet so I may also experience his vision in that medium. BTW....great seller. Shipped fast and packed well. 5 STAR*****

Like most Dylan fans, I was drawn (no pun intended)into this book right away. Bob has always fascinated as an artist. His best songs are stories that unfold over the course of the song, and his recent bio, Chronicles, was a continuation of his story-telling prowess.

This book, taken from the Drawn Blank exhibition, gives yet another insight into this artist that has captivated us for the past 40 some odd years. We knew he was an artist. His artwork has graced several album covers and insides and various publications over the years. To see all of this material collected in one publication will delight Dylan fans everywhere.

One of Bob's songs is called "When I Paint My Masterpiece." In this book, fans will discover several of them.

"BOB DYLAN: The Drawn Blank Series," edited by Ingrid Mossinger & Kerstin Dreschel (288 pgs., 2006, 2007). This book contains 170 painted variations of drawings Bob Dylan did between 1989 & 1992. The original drawings & sketches were published in 1994 in a book entitled "Drawn Blank." The drawings were never publicly exhibited. In the Forward to the book, Dylan wrote that the drawings were intended as sketches for future paintings. The paintings in this book are the result of him following through on his intentions. This book was published in conjunction with the first public exhibition of his works at the Kunstsammlungen Chemnitz, in Germany.

Along with the artwork, there are four essays (including one by Diana Picasso), a short Dylan bio, a list of all his record releases (including each individual cut), a list of each painting (including how & when they were done) & some other rear of the book information.

All of these paintings are watercolors. Some were done in the gouache method. Dylan studied art during the long convalescence from his motorcycle accident on July 29, 1966. He combined his art training with his unique outlook on the world & life. Many of his works might remind one of Picasso's more abstract pieces. Some might remind others of Marc Chagall, especially the piece on the cover. The works includes nudes, still-lifes, landscapes & views of urban grit out of windows.

This book is one of those oversized coffee table art books which measures 9 ¾" x 12" & costs quite a bit to publish. Would Dylan's art have received such treatment if he was not Bob Dylan? Who knows? In the crazy up & down art world, he might have made a reputation just on his own art work. Did his artwork floor me, just like his songs? No. A big resounding NO! Did I enjoy perusing this book? Yes, and I guess that's enough for any artist.