When you talk about legendary musical performers, singer-songwriter Bob Dylan is right on top. But now and for a limited time only, you can see a side of Dylan that until recently, was hidden from view. For the next week only, head to New York City, specifically to the ritzy Upper East Side. Right across from the infamous Carlyle Hotel on Madison Avenue and 76th Street is the Gagosian Gallery, located at 980 Madison. Take the elevator up to the fourth floor and step right into a performance of Bob Dylan, the painter.
Yes, it’s the first ever New York exhibition of paintings by the legend himself. Titled Bob Dylan: The Asia Series, Dylan has painted works of art based on his travels through Japan, China, Vietnam and Korea. In scenes depicting Asian architecture, landscapes, street scenes and the people themselves, Bob Dylan invites you to take a visual tour of his personal travels.
The Gagosian Gallery devotes 3 rooms to Bob Dylan’s Asian paintings. His smart observations of life and of the characters he has met, comes through beautifully. In all, eighteen pictures are on display and according to the gallery, most have been sold, priced at hundreds of thousands of dollars each.
In addition to the Bob Dylan exhibition, this location of the Gagosian Gallery is also showcasing a collection of classic black and white photographs by Richard Avedon, including the Beatles portfolio showing John, Paul, George and Ringo in 1967. Avedon’s take on poet Allen Ginsberg, sculptress Louise Nevelson, artist Jasper Johns, along with remarkable photos of a drifter, coal miner and bartender are stories in themselves and worth seeing.