Bob Dylan's The Drawn Blank Series

American singer Bob Dylan is considered by many to be one of the greatest songwriters of all time, and has sold more than 125 million records in his lifetime. Although his musical success is common knowledge, it is slightly lesser known that Dylan also works in the visual arts, along with the musical arts. While on tour from 1989-1992, he created a series of drawings, comprising of scenes from life on the road. Originally the were compiled into a book and published in 1994, titled Drawn Blank. In 2006, Dylan was asked to create a museum exhibition from this body of work. Dylan had time to evolve the pictures, this time executing them in watercolours and gouache, giving them a more vibrant and expressive tone, and these became known as The Drawn Blank Series, with the originals being exhibited in 2007, and in subsequent years, signed limited edition prints of these images were released. The release of these prints saw huge success, and came in various series over the years.

This December, McTear’s is pleased to offer two of these series in The Scottish Contemporary Art Auction. Lot 859, The Drawn Blank Series 2009 features a collection of 8 prints by the artist, displaying an array of scenes. The 8 prints included in this lot are Fisherman, Motel Pool, Three Chairs, Sunflowers, Rose on a Hillside, Rooftop Bar, Bicycle and Truck Stop. Beautifully rendered, each of the prints features stunning colour palettes and definitive brush strokes.

Lot 860, The Drawn Blank Series 2008, Train Tracks, features a set of 4 prints of train tracks in an array of colours. Trains feature prominently in lyrics from the singers oeuvre, and these prints have become some of the most sought after editions from the artist, due to the connection of the artist’s visual work to his musical work. Estimated at £8,000 – £12,000 and £4,000 - £6,000 respectively, these portfolios are expected to be just two of the many lots to watch in the 384 lot auction, on Sunday 5 December at 12pm.

Click here to view the full auction catalogue. >>

Makenzie Cool

For a complimentary, no-obligation on Scottish contemporary art, please contact our specialists on 0141 810 2880 or auction@mctears.co.uk.