Whilst travelling on tour between 1989 and 1992, Bob Dylan created a collection of drawings that were published in a book entitled 'Drawn Blank' in 1994. These expressive works capture Dylan's chance encounters and observations. The creation of these portraits, interiors, landscapes, still lifes, nudes and street scenes were done to "relax and refocus a restless mind".Ingrid Mössinger - the curator of the Kunstsammlungen Museum, in Chemnitz, Germany - came across Drawn Blank' during a visit to New York in 2006. The artist’s journeys between cities and towns are personified by his Expressionist lines, which capture the instant moment of a place, person and time. Repeated motifs encourage the viewer to explore the depths of colour and the evolution of his work.His art has been likened to that of Pablo Picasso, with critics applauding the relatability of his collections. He paints mostly from life, stating: "I’m pretty much interested in people, histories, myth, and portraits; people of all stripes." In 2011, New York based gallery Gagosian held an exhibition of Dylan's Asia Series of controversial acrylic paintings.

Since releasing his debut studio album, Bob Dylan, in 1962, Dylan's cultural influence has extended beyond music to encompass art and literature. In 2016, he became the first songwriter to win the Nobel Prize in Literature for 'having created new poetic expressions within the great American song tradition'. Such is his effect on wider culture that 'Dylanology' - the study of Dylan's work - has canonised his songwriting, poetry and art for new generations to dissect and interpret. At Harvard University, Dylan's work is taught by its Professor of the Classics, Richard F. Thomas, alongside the Roman poets Ovid and Virgil. He’s celebrated across the globe for his revolutionary music, with the Independent newspaper naming him ‘the most important figure in pop-culture history’ in 2011. But it isn’t just songs like ‘Blowin’ in the Wind’ and ‘Mr. Tambourine Man’ that have made Bob Dylan one of the world’s most influential people; his foray into fine art continues to take centre stage. His brushstrokes are like his voice: straightforward, rough, occasionally fragile. He's not after artistic perfection but something larger, a moment, a feeling. The effect is enthralling.” Although Bob Dylan is best known as a singer and songwriter, he is also a writer, film director, actor, radio broadcaster and artist. Drawing upon a diverse range of subjects, Bob Dylan's Drawn Blank series showcases his masterful use of line, form, and colour, which exudes a sense of introspection and emotional depth. Comprising sketches, watercolours, and gouaches, the collection is a vibrant interplay of vivid hues and subtle shades, evoking a palpable sense of movement and life.Born Robert Allen Zimmerman, he would introduce himself as "Bob Dylan" during his early performances, a change inspired by his favorite poet Dylan Thomas. In an interview, Dylan said: "You're born, you know, the wrong names, wrong parents. I mean, that happens. You call yourself what you want to call yourself. This is the land of the free."

In short, if you are looking for a return over the short to medium term, other artists outperform Bob Dylan.As a fine-artist, Bob Dylan began drawing in the 1960's to pass time whilst recovering from a motorbike crash. His work was first brought to public attention in 1994 with the publication of the Drawn Blank book, a compilation of drawings and sketches made between 1989 and 1992 whilst on tour in America, Asia and Europe. Coinciding with the Frost Art Museum's new Retrospectrum exhibition, Bob Dylan's latest release sees two of the first-ever paintings from his iconic The Drawn Blank Series collection recreated as an exclusive set of limited edition graphics. Hand-signed by the Nobel laureate and Grammy Award-winning musician, these highly collectible works revisit the origins of the artistic style of one of the world's most influential cultural icons.

Collection is comprehensive, covering a substantial part of the artist’s body of work making it capable of serving as a stand-alone exhibition. Bob Dylan created a collection of drawings that were published in a book entitled Drawn Blank in 1994. These expressive works captured Dylan’s chance encounters and observations whilst travelling on tour between 1989 and 1992, creating portraits, land and cityscapes, interiors, nudes and still life were done to “relax and refocus a restless mind”. Not only are some of Dylan’s earlier shows not yet entirely sold out — a good indicator of a print’s investment value — but his work also sells for less or the same as its original gallery costs on the secondary market. Upon their first release in the Drawn Blank book in 1994, Dylan’s sketches wowed critics and viewers alike with their confident hand and raw honesty. Capturing his chance encounters and observations whilst on tour, the release of The Drawn Blank Series in 2008 marked his UK fine art debut.

Past Lots

DISPLAY– Requires approx. 100-110 linear meters (325-375 linear feet), depending on the installation. To reflect the amazing body of work contained in 'The Drawn Blank Series', a publishing programme of limited edition graphics commenced, releases in 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012 generated huge worldwide interest, leading to many of the pieces selling out immediately. Summer 2013 saw the release of 'The Drawn Blank Series 2013', a portfolio of eleven pieces reflecting some of the best images from the collection. Now 'The Drawn Blank Series 2016' continues the journey with some of the most profound and haunting images yet released. A landmark retrospective exhibition, Retrospectrum, featuring Dylan’s artistic output to date opened at MAM Shanghai, before beginning a tour that will cover Asia, Europe and the USA. The exhibition, which later opened at Today’s Art Museum in Beijing and the Jupiter Museum of Art in Shenzhen, re-examined The Drawn Blank Series, The New Orleans Series, Mood Swings, The Beaten Path, and works from Mondo Scripto. Dylan dates the origins of his work as a visual artist to the early 1960s. A few drawings reached the public gaze with album covers like Music from Big Pink(1968) and Self Portrait(1970). In 1974, Dylan spent two seminal months studying art with Ashcan School tutor Norman Raeben, who philosophised the importance of 'perceptual honesty' - painting life as it as seen, not imagined.Dylan says of this time: "He put my mind and my hand and my eye together, in a way that allowed me to do consciously what I unconsciously felt."