NICOLE KLIEST
staff writer
How many roads must a man walk down before he finds a Bob Dylan exhibit? A quick trip on the 405 freeway will reveal the Skirball Cultural Center’s “Bob Dylan’s American Journey 1956-1966” exhibit, which is on display through June 8.
The visual, aural and interactive collection focuses on the first decade of Dylan’s celebrated career recounting his transformation from a rock ‘n’ roll-loving Midwestern teenager to a Greenwich Village folk troubadour to the rock star and poet who electrified contemporary songwriting.
By presenting 160 artifacts, this exhibit not only illuminates the significant development of Dylan’s work but also documents a tumultuous period in American history, which is marked by the Civil Rights and anti-war movements.
Fascinating pieces in the exhibit include artifacts from different people and places that had a direct influence on Dylan during this time.
Such artifacts include songwriter and folk musician Woody Guthrie’s Martin guitar, audio clips from musicians such as The Beatles, and a hand-held camera that belonged to filmmaker D.A. Pennebaker when he shot the material used in the Dylan documentary, “No Direction Home.”
Organized into three periods, “Bound for Glory (1956-1961),” “I Have a Dream (1961-1964)” and “Don’t Look Back (1965-1966),” the exhibition shows how time and place had an effect on Dylan, and how Dylan had an effect on time and place, according to the exhibition’s curator, Jasen Emmons.
The “Bound for Glory” period opens the exhibition with colorful reproductions of 100 seven-inch cover versions of “Blowin’ in the Wind,” depicting the importance of this masterpiece during a time of protest and movement.
The exhibition then travels through Dylan’s life from 1956-1961 with pieces that represent his life and music during this time, including Dylan’s first concert at Carnegie Chapter Hall in 1961, which has never been broadcasted or commercially released.
Much of this part of the exhibition shows the influence that Woody Guthrie had on Dylan in regards to new ways to think about songwriting and how to raise his own political consciousness.
It also continues with the Greenwich Village folk music scene with guitars and listening stations where visitors can hear interviews as well as music clips of notable characters like Pete Seeger, Carolyn Hester and Ramblin’ Jack Elliott.
The exhibition moves forward with “I Have a Dream,” highlighting the years 1961 through 1964.
This shows Dylan’s relationship with folksinger and songwriter Joahn Baez as well as his girlfriend at the time, Suze Rotolo, and how they had an affect on his music, poetry and approaches to songwriting.
Much of the exhibition allows generous room for folk music and politics to be observed. News clips, FBI files and memorabilia, as well as substantial documentation of the Civil Rights movement and the 1963 March on Washington, where Dylan performed and Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his “I Have a Dream” speech, are included among other notable pieces.
Finally, the “Don’t Look Back” segment begins with Dylan’s 1965 album, “Bringing it All Back Home,” which many consider to have entered him into a phenomenal creative period that changed the sound and feel of 1960s rock.
The segment, which highlights 1965 and 1966, has pieces that depict important events that occurred during this time for Dylan such as his infamous “going electric” at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival, as well as newspaper clippings in which The Beatles acknowledged their admiration for Dylan.
Keeping in the spirit of creativity and movement, the Skirball Center also presents an interactive component with this exhibition.
The multimedia exhibition features a newly developed interactive gallery that invites visitors to re-mix and re-imagine original Dylan recordings.
Visitors of all ages and creative spans can fiddle with a classic draw bar, remix a Dylan song, play percussion on a Dylan song, play along with Dylan on a drum set, make their own guitar sound, and sing and play on a Dylan song, such as “Like a Rolling Stone,” all in the comfort and safety of headphones of course.
Electrifying exhibition-related programs that prove the wide-ranging impact of Dylan’s life and art are offered as well. These programs include lectures, live music, film, gallery tours, class and more.
For further inquiry contact the Skirball Cultural Center via telephone, (310) 440-4500, or visit their Web site, www.skirball.org. Tickets for the exhibition are $10 general, $7 for seniors and students, and free to all visitors.
02-21-2008
