Three Yorkshire galleries are giving people the chance to own a piece of both music and art history with exhibitions of Dylan's work.

The Drawn Blank Series is a selection of paintings Dylan sketched in the late eighties and early nineties while travelling the world.

Dylan collected the sketches together and in 1994 they were published in a book called Drawn Blank.

The work was largely forgotten until two years ago, when a German gallery owner found a second hand copy of the book in New York.

Ingrid Mössinger is the director of the Chemnitz City Art Gallery, and when she spotted the book, she approached Dylan's people to ask if she could exhibit
the originals.

Alas, the sketches no longer existed, so the publishers of the book reprinted the black and white sketches, which Dylan then painted in colour.

The resulting series of work was first shown in Chemnitz late last year and opened in London's Halcyon Gallery
last week.

Prints of these paintings are now on display at Castle Galleries in Meadowhall, Sheffield, Castle Galleries in York and at Smart in Batley.

Andrew White, director of publishing at Washington Green Fine Art Publishing, which has brought the print series to Yorkshire, is also a lifelong Dylan fan and has been instrumental in giving people an opportunity to own this piece of history.

"I am 35 years into a lifelong obsession with Dylan," says White.

"But even being totally dispassionate, it is easy to say that these works are pieces by an extraordinary artist."

The sketches feature scenes from across America that Dylan witnessed while living his itinerant musician's life. Women in hotels, train tracks, scenes of Americana all appear, unsurprisingly, in the Dylan work.

"As works of art, they stand by themselves and can be appreciated by themselves," says White. "When you see the exhibition and are surrounded by the work, it gives you a real feel of what Dylan is all about."

The prints, which have all been signed by the musician, are limited to 295 each, and prices start at £1,000.

White adds: "The response has been amazing. As I know only too well, people develop a fascination with Dylan and a chance to see his artwork is another piece of the jigsaw that helps you understand this extraordinary artist."


Drawn Blank is at Castle Galleries, Sheffield, 0114 256 9777, Castle Galleries,York, 01904 625100 and Smart in Batley, 01924 455 445.