Characters – the legendary songwriter Usa stayed at Como before the opening of the exhibition at Palazzo Reale in Milan If Bob Dylan’s love for Italy is known for some time – in 1998 before a concert in Turin said it was good to be back in the most beautiful country in the world – who knows what idea you will be done in our town these days. Already, because the greatest songwriter in the history of rock chose to stay in Como before the inauguration, which took place yesterday at Palazzo Reale in Milan, his exhibition of paintings dedicated to New Orleans.
If in 2004 Dylan arrived on the shores of the Lake for its historic concert in Villa Erba in Cernobbio, in this case is his now famous passion for painting to traghettarlo from our parts. Curiously with a theme that somehow had already joined the freshwater lake to the sliming Slobber of the Mississippi since Davide Van De Sfroos had written about a beautiful song called just New Orleans. A magical city, Dylan is not satisfied to sing more than one song, but decided to put on canvas. And that the musicians love often dabble with brushes, with results that are in some cases more than decent jobs, they have shown, for example, Janis Joplin, Leonard Cohen, Franco Battiato, Ivan Graziani, John Mellencamp, Marilyn Manson. But when behind the colour palette there is Mr. Bob Dylan, that already in some cover of his records – see Self Portrait, Planet Waves and Empire Burlesque – had given proof of its quality, it is clear that the fact assumes a certain significance.
From New York to London, major museums have already met with success his works. Paul Vites, musical critic on Dylan wrote more than one book, is enthusiastic: “this series – tells the journalist – is very nice. Compared to previous frameworks, which portrayed hotel rooms or more or less imaginary landscapes, in this case, Dylan has taken photographs of New Orleans degli anni ‘ 40 returning within a few years, from 2008 to 2011, a dark, disturbing works in both colors in the topics “.
The famous American musician, as is his style, is not interested in the expert judgements, so much so that at the Milan exhibition curator, Francesco Bonami, Dylan has visited before his inauguration yesterday, said: «I am very happy to be free, so everyone can visit it and not only industry professionals». You put my heart in peace: the great Bob has no intention to also head the Crown of genius of painting.
Leads to fatigue, because when a 22 year old get masterpieces like The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan (album this year out 50 candles) that open with songs of blowin’ in The Wind, it is then difficult to rid the Cape from certain burdens. One thing is certain: even as he paints, Dylan tells only what he sees. As in his songs you travel in real, without inventions or fictions. He remains a genuine storyteller of our times, without personal interpretations or who knows what will change the world, which many have tried to give him since the dawn of his career in the early ‘ 60. New Orleans Series, shows that will remain open in Milan until March 10, is a nice opportunity to meet with another Dylan’s soul, since his paintings were unheard of in Italy. Although Francesco De Gregori a framework signed Bob Dylan if he has already won.