Bob Dylan paints Brazil at the National Gallery of Denmark
12 September, 2010A new exhibition at the National Gallery of Denmark will be showcasing the artistic skills of Bob Dylan. What makes this so interesting to Sounds and Colours though is the fact that these watercolour paintings will all be of Brazil. Supposedly Dylan has been painting since the 60s without ever making this fact public. Once the National Gallery of Denmark asked if he was interested in putting on an exhibition at their gallery he responded by heading over to Brazil and commissioning a special set of images.
What’s so fascinating from a Bob Dylan perspective is that in great contrast to his notoriously cryptic novel Tarantula and his ability to take on different personalities in his music, never once giving a straight answer to anything, is that the paintings seem to be a very visually straight representation of their subject. Now I am no art critic but in themselves they don’t appear to be too impressive; his guitar and voice would still seem to be his best instruments. However, it does offer the possibility of finding out more about this artist and what he thinks of Brazil. Here is a little more from the Gallery’s website:
Bob Dylan’s new series reflects the settings and people he came across in Brazil. Here, we find depictions of everyday scenes in cities and in the country. Wine growers, gypsies, politicians, gamblers, and gangsters. A motley collection of motifs and subject matter that accentuates the artist’s fascination with the diversity of Brazil. The works appear almost like anthropological records, shorn of any romantic sentiments, preconceptions, or social commentary. The motif itself, its compositional potential, and the underlying narrative would appear to be the features that most interest the artist.
Here’s one of his efforts:
More info:
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