10 THE BEATEN PATH
11 THE BEATEN PATH
The American landscape has been a source of endless inspiration for Bob Dylan in both his lyrics and visual art. Although these new works focus solely on the historic and iconic ‘Route 66’, also known as ‘The Mother Road’, they follow his recent paintings from The Beaten Path in presenting a remarkable, unfolding portrait of the United States. The collection offers fleeting glimpses of downbeat motels and road signs – epochal scenery along the legendary ‘Route 66’. The famous highway originally ran from Chicago, Illinois, though the states of Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California, before ending at Los Angeles, running a total of 2,448 miles. Although it has now been replaced by freeways, many iconic sites along the route still stand today. The Beaten Path emerges from this cultural heritage, a product of a patchwork of sources, stitched together by Dylan’s gift for capturing the essence of his country’s life. Since the early 1960s, when Dylan came to prominence as a singer and songwriter, touring has been a central part of his artistic expression. He is familiar with the country’s highways, city streets and back roads because he has spent his life moving along them. He explains his depiction of the American landscape as ‘how you see it while crisscrossing the land and seeing it for what it’s worth.’ He joins artists such as Ed Ruscha, Robert Frank, Edward Hopper, Richard Diebenkorn and Andy Warhol in their fascination with representing their own America. “A lot of people don’t like the road, but it’s as natural to me as breathing. I do it because I’m driven to do it […] it’s the only place you can be who you want to be.” Bob Dylan interview with the New York Times, 26 September 1997 THE BEATEN PATH, ROUTE 66
Made with FlippingBook - Online magazine maker