Dylan By the Numbers
Bob Dylan
The Brazil Series
The Statens Museum for Kunst /National Gallery of Denmark is home to the exhibit Bob Dylan: The Brazil Series running from September 4, 2010 through January 30, 2011. Who knew? I suppose a lot of people since Bob Dylan has been painting since the 1960s or as he says “I have always painted.”
Music From Big Pink
Of course there’s Dylan’s cover art for Planet Waves and Self Portrait as well as his painting for The Band’s Music From Big Pink.
“In a strange way I noticed that it purified the experience of my eye…” Bob Dylan on drawing
Bahia, 2010 © Bob Dylan. Acrylic on canvas, 121,9 x 91,4 cm
These new paintings are based on Dylan’s many visits to Brazil and were created specifically for this exhibit, about 40 paintings in all.
Favela Villa Broncos, 2010 © Bob Dylan. Acrylic on canvas, 106,7 x 142,2 cm
But few artists are afforded respect in more than one area of expression. Why is that? Are you your own toughest act to follow?
Probably the most difficult maneuver to pull off is actor first, musician second while the opposite – musician first, actor second often allows the persona critical leeway. Then there’s the artist as director recently exemplified by Julian Schnabel who pulled a real rabbit out of his broken-plate-filled hat with the beautiful The Dive Bell and the Butterfly. And let’s not leave out Wittgenstein’s architecture, Nietzsche’s piano pieces, Antonin Artaud and Henri Michaux‘s drawings, Adolph Wolfli’s music, Alfred Jarry’s prints, Nick Cave’s novels and Red Skelton’s clowns. The good, the bad and the ugly.
Paul Stanley (left) Crossroads, Ronnie Wood (right) Jazz & Blues – Robbie Johnson
But the musician first, artist second has some illustrious examples recognized by the ‘art establishment’ including Arnold Schoenberg, John Cage and Don Van Vliet (Captain Beefheart). And then there’s Marilyn Manson, Ronnie Wood, John Mellencamp, Joni Mitchell, David Bowie, Mark Mothersbaugh (Devo), Tony Bennett, Paul Stanley, Grace Slick, David Byrne, Cat Stevens, Robyn Hitchcock, Syd Barrett, Bono, Babs Santini (aka Steven Stapleton of Nurse With Wound), Miles Davis, Bill Dixon, Peter Brötzmann, Dan Fogelberg, John Squire (The Stone Roses), Jerry Garcia, Daniel Johnston, Paul Simonon (The Clash), Steve Kilby (The Church), Wayne Coyne (The Flaming Lips), Laurie Anderson, Frank Zappa, Leonard Cohen and Kim Gordon. To name a few.
