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Friday, January 28, 2011

The Drawn Blank series by Bob Dylan

Few people would not have heard of Bob Dylan, and that is due to his outstanding work ethic and his works alone.  He is a song-writer, lyricist, writer, poet, visual artist, singer and a musician who can play no less than 11 instruments.  He has been working at his craft for over 50 years, and some lucky people will be seeing him play at the 2011 Byron Bay Blues, Roots and Grass (resin) Festival where he will be headlining with other greats.  To have him play at a festival in Northern NSW is amazing and I imagine the atmosphere will be wildly enthusiastic in a very hep way.


Bob Dylan is also a respected visual artist.  Beginning on February 13, 2011, a special exhibition will feature work based on drawings from his 'Drawn Blank Series' from the 1990s at London's Halcyon Gallery.

"I just draw what's interesting to me, and then I paint it," Dylan said about his art. "I'm not trying to make social comment or fulfil somebody's vision and I can find subject matter anywhere. I guess in some way that comes out of the folk world that I came up in."
A lesser known early Self Portrait, by Bob Dylan. The Drawn Blank series of artworks by Bob Dylan

The show will feature nearly 100 artworks from the musician, including the world premiere of 30 large paintings.

Dylan, who painted the cover of his 1970 album 'Self Portrait', has also included his drawings in the books Writings And Drawings and Lyrics 1962-1985.










'backyard' by Bob Dylan, taken from his "The Drawn Blank Series"
While Bob has a massive back catalogue that he could easily rest upon, he doesn't.  The persona Bob Dylan has become so mythologised it can be forgotten he is like us, a working artist, with a life.  Recently he worked with Daniel Lanois creating a whole new Bob Dylan Sound, starting with his album Time Out Of Mind.  He is famed for his Never Ending World Tour, he hosts a radio show, has written what may be the first of his life Chronicles and we've still got our tongues out for more.  The following interview with Time Magazine shows Bob Dylan fencing with his unwitting partner.  Pity the fool.


Monday, January 24, 2011

Photographing Your Paintings Up Against the Wall

Photographing Your Paintings Up Against the Wall

As all artists know, completing your art work is not where the work ends. One then needs to be able to photograph it for archival purposes, or perhaps to make cards or prints from your work. The above link provides some simple suggestions.

Curious Art's current exhibition is actually called "up against the wall" for a number of reasons. We were all zonked from a heavy schedule of our volunteer based work at the gallery plus commitments in our personal lives. Coming up with a name for the last exhibition, we were literally "up against the wall" and we decided to have artworks casually leaning against walls and easels on plinths.



On another level, "up against the wall" relates to the individual struggles of artists dating back when artists first practised their tradecraft in return for money, goods or services.  The modern day situation really has not changed that much.  Many are called; few are chosen.  Nevertheless we create for the pleasure it creates for us and hopefully, others.  And if this means that it puts us up against the wall from time to time, so be it!


If any artist ever lived his life 'up against the wall,' it was Vincent.  For a man who sold less than $100 in his own lifetime, his art work now attracts hundreds of millions of dollars.  Are we not glad that he did not collapse and give in, but leant against the "wall" and carried on?  What a gift we have from him.

Thursday, January 20, 2011

The Contemporary, Modern Curious Art Gallery Rules!

My name is Clare Bryant and I am the new blogger for Curious Art gallery (and one of it's members and Directors), so when you have an opinion about Curious Art Gallery's blog you will know whom you are addressing.

My aim is to keep you informed on Tweed regional art and international modern art events, such as installation art, like the 1995 inspirational work of Tilda Swinton and Cornelia Parker seen here in this link.

View the Frith Street Gallery website

View the youtube video Art is Alive with Tilda Swinton




 
We have a strong photography presence, and works in different mediums, oil paints, gouache and acrylic paints pastels, collage, watercolour, charcoal, mosaics, pen and ink and jewellry.

Trawling contemporary art blogs this morning I came across the phenomena of the shadow ghost blogger.  In this world so intent on the supernatural, have we now reached the point where blogging is a spectral past-time?  Perhaps that allows the true writer to pat themselves with both hands on their back oh-ho so self-satisfied. 

Well, I plan to work hard on your behalf, to keep you intrigued and informed, to write and pat myself on the back, somewhat like patting the head, rubbing the tummy?

Stay Curious.
Clare.
Curious Art Co-operative Gallery

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

A Curious visit to Annie Leibovitz: A Photographer's Life 1990-2005

One of the Curious Artists recently visited Sydney and posted these comments about this exhibition at the M.C.A.

“There is close to 200 images in the body of work. Walking slowly though the various exhibition rooms closely studying and appraising the work took close to 2 hours. It would have been easy after a coffee to do it again but the MCA closes at five and after a  planes, ferries and an automobile type experience getting there I was only in the doors at 3pm.

Her portrait work is just amazing. Just one of her many creative and technical strengths. The way she uses natural and artificial light is outstanding. Some of the formal portraits have you just standing there drawn in to their world.

Standouts were Mick Jagger, Daniel Day Lewis and a shot of the Queen of England with a dramatic, brooding sky blended in behind her which seems to well suit her apparent mood. (given the time constraints of the shoot as noted in the photographers book which gives a behind the scenes narrative of many of the portrait sittings)

This exhibition is not just a must see. It is a must see again and again!”

Visit the MCA website for some exhibition highlights.