Following the success of this year’s biopic “A Complete Unknown,” a new generation has been introduced to the lyricism, nasal vocal style, and sometimes frustrating nature of Bob Dylan. This month, they will have the opportunity to discover another aspect of Dylan’s talents, as he exhibits a series of original artworks created with “emotional resonance” in London.
At the age of 83, Dylan will unveil 97 recent works featuring characters, objects, and various scenes at the Halcyon Gallery. These artworks, titled “Point Blank,” are based on original sketches Dylan created between 2021 and 2022. They depict scenes of people playing instruments, couples, athletes, as well as rooms and places where Dylan has spent time.
The drawings were painted over with vibrant colors to create “living, breathing entities” that possess emotional resonance. Dylan explains, “The idea wasn’t only to observe the human condition but to vigorously immerse myself in it.” The studies include a mirror reflecting lips, a saxophonist, and a cowboy with a pistol hanging on his belt in front of a rising sun.
Some of the drawings are intertwined as blue, red, and neutral monochromatic studies, reminiscent of Pablo Picasso’s early blue period. The exhibition, which began as a book accompanied by prose, encourages viewers to provoke stories from their imagination through the artwork.
Kate Brown, the creative director at Halcyon, describes these works on paper as intangible windows into the life and imagination of one of the greatest storytellers who ever lived. Attendees will be inspired to consider the circumstances of the protagonists in the artwork and contemplate their own movement through the artist-depicted spaces.
The Halcyon Gallery previously exhibited Dylan’s series “Drawn Blank,” graphite drawings made during his travels between Europe, Asia, and the US from 1989 to 1992, which were later reworked with paint. Dylan explains that creating artwork is a way for him to “relax and refocus a restless mind” during busy tours.
Paul Green, the president and founder of Halcyon, stated that their collaboration with Dylan has been an extraordinary experience, witnessing his transformation into a critically acclaimed visual artist. This latest body of paintings feels like a more intimate connection to the artist than his previous work, and it is a privilege to share them publicly for the first time.
The exhibition, titled “Point Blank,” will be free of charge and is set to open on 9 May.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/music/2025/may/03/exhibition-of-original-bob-dylan-paintings-to-open-in-london
