Bob Dylan on Canvas
They say that many artists are multi-talented. Singer and songwriter Bob Dylan has sold 110 million records worldwide and is revered as one of the music industry’s most influential and controversial figures. He is also a bestselling author, a writer, film director, actor and now, as a new show at London’s Halcyon Gallery reveals, an accomplished painter. No mean feat for the man known as The Bard who has continuously reinvented himself for generations of new fans.
This is the first time that Dylan’s work has been shown on canvas and concludes the artist’s Drawn Blank Series which has documented his progression from drawings to the acrylics on canvas. The works on display were created from sketches made during the musician’s tours between 1989 and 1992 and give a rare insight into the creative genius of the legendary folk singer.
There is something reminiscent of both Van Gogh and Matisse in the work, yet at the same time they remain quite unique. An eclectic range of landscapes, interiors, street scenes, portraits and nudes are depicted with vivid colours and bold brushwork which is by turns exuberant and meditative.
Woman in Red Lion Pub depicts the rear view of a voluptuous female standing at a bar. As the flesh bulges from her dress we are left with a sense of mystery – we can only see the back of her head. The viewer is left to contemplate her emotions; is this a portrait of loneliness or salacious intent?
Likewise there is something deeply perplexing about Two Sisters which draws you in. The two figures, one clothed and the other nude swoon on a bed or divan. The nude appears to be leaning into kiss the figure in the foreground, whose arm is raised in what could either be protection or abandon. The expression on her face is inscrutable. Is this a depiction of sisterly comfort or something altogether more sinister?
While these paintings prompt us to ask these sorts of questions, there is nothing forceful about their approach. They encourage leisurely reflection, which feels every bit as effortless and light as Dylan’s brush strokes. Yes, there is a sense of intrigue, yet it seems to strike the perfect balance between playfulness and an overbearing seriousness.
Two paintings of train tracks drifting into the distance beneath a brooding backdrop or purple mountains and blue skies seem to suggest the endless possibilities of creativity and the unknown. Their silent, explorative quality is at once slightly eerie, but also inspirational. They could almost be the sort of images that you would find on the front of a self-help book promoting inner peace and intrepid self-discovery.
We are left with the sense of an artist meandering through the world, observing its mysteries and idiosyncrasies and commenting on them in a way that is entirely accessible to the uninitiated. There is nothing elitist about Dylan’s style, he produces something assured and quietly beautiful that has the capacity to reach into our souls and tug at whatever emotion may be lying dormant, whether it be joy or sadness.
Bob Dylan on Canvas, Halcyon Gallery, Bruton Street, London W1J 6QQ, until 10 April.
