Telford collector puts Dylan art to Auction
Signed prints by iconic American singer-songwriter and artist Bob Dylan, will be going up for auction in Shropshire next week.
Dylan has been a major figure in pop culture over his 68-year career. With an estimated 125 million records sold worldwide. A Telford-based collector is putting his collection, currently valued at around £50,000, up for auction with Halls Fine Art’s Modern and Contemporary Art and Design Auction hosted at the Battlefield saleroom in Shrewsbury on July 9.
Dylan’s most popular prints are those from his ‘Side Tracks’ series of more than 300 giclée prints, each featuring the same ‘Train Tracks’ image, which is then hand-embellished by Dylan, making each one unique.
All the prints are individually named after a specific location and date, usually corresponding to a concert Dylan played at some point between 1961 and 2013.
‘Side Tracks’ valued at £20,000 to £25,000 was painted by Dylan late February 1974 while in Los Angeles. The 131 cm by 100 cm painting is a hand embellished giclee print (a high-quality digital print, often used for fine art reproduction) with watercolour and gouache(a water based paint but is opaque rather than transparent).
Most of the other prints, such as ‘Sunflowers’ and ‘Cityscape’ were painted by Dylan during his travels across America and Europe. They were purchased by the collector from Washington Green Fine Art, Birmingham and are all in excellent condition.
“I often get valuation requests for Bob Dylan prints, but it is rare to get the opportunity to bring such an extensive collection to auction.” said Abigail Molenaar, Halls Fine Art’s paintings and prints specialist.
“The market for Bob Dylan prints is strong and this collection has gone from gallery to the collector’s wall and now to auction, so they are in good condition.
“Bob Dylan is a global popular culture icon who, like David Bowie, transcends different genres and their work is always collectable for memorabilia.”
Dylan became the first singer-songwriter to be awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2016 and, three years later, held his first comprehensive solo exhibition in the Modern Art Museum in Shanghai. The exhibition attracted a huge 100,000 visitors in the first three months.
Halls Fine Art will also be selling a Fender Stratocaster electric guitar, signed by Dylan, in the auction with an estimate of £200 to £300.
Other works being auctioned include an artist’s proof print of ‘Pride in Prejudice by Donald Trump’ with a stylised Penguin book cover. This satirical work, valued at £800 to £1,200, is by The Connor Brothers, known for their contemporary art with a witty, often cynical, commentary.
