"Art is the perpetual motion of illusion. The highest purpose of art is to inspire. What else can you do?"

However, Bob Dylan is now just as revered for his fine art, which offers a unique insight into his extraordinary world. He dates the origins of his work as a visual artist to the early 1960s, when some of his drawings reached the public gaze with album covers like The Band's Music from Big Pink (1968) and his own 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."

Understanding Dylan's art aids in the appreciation of his singular cultural impact. His art - paintings, drawings and even ironwork sculptures - reflect his creative journey. An observer of the world, Dylan echoes Warhol, Monet and the Impressionists, valuing the experience over the finer details of the finished image. 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. Dylan mostly from life, stating: "I'm pretty much interested in people, histories, myth, and portraits; people of all stripes."
 

Dylan's original art has been exhibited in high-profile shows worldwide, beginning with a show of the Drawn Blank series at Kunstsammlungen Chemnitz in Germany in 2007 and most recently at Rome's MAXXI museum, His work has also been seen at the Piazza Reale in Milan, the National Portrait Gallery in London, Miami's Frost Art Museum, the Today Art Museum in Beijing and Shanghai's Modern Art Museum.