Bob Dylan Faces Plagiarism Claims With New Art Exhibit

Bob Dylan doesn't answer many questions these days. And when the folk singer's latest collection of paintings went on display at the Gagosian Gallery in New York City, it left many art buffs scratching their heads, wondering just one thing -- did he copy these paintings?

According to the New York Times, Dylan's exhibit 'The Asia Series' was influenced by the ole' bard's travels in Asia. However, many of the works have been pinpointed as direct copies of widely available photographs from the 20th century, including a Henri Cartier-Bresson picture from 1948 that undoubtedly influenced Dylan's piece 'Trade.'

Michael Gray, a Dylan fan and owner of Bob Dylan Encyclopedia wrote in a blog post, "The most striking thing is that Dylan has not merely used a photograph to inspire a painting: He has taken the photographer's shot composition and copied it exactly ... It may not be plagiarism but it's surely copying rather a lot."

According to the Gagosian, the singer hasn't plagiarized anything, as he explains in the exhibit's brochure: "I paint mostly from real life. It has to start with that. Real people, real street scenes, behind the curtain scenes, live models, paintings, photographs, staged setups, architecture, grids, graphic design. Whatever it takes to make it work. What I'm trying to bring out in complex scenes, landscapes or personality clashes, I do it in a lot of different ways. I have the cause and effect in mind from the beginning to the end. But it has to start with something tangible."

Head over to the New York Times to see a couple of the paintings. Do you think Dylan's guilty of plagiarism? Or is it just another piece of the Dylan puzzle?

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