“Iwasgiventheideaofusinganauto-pen,alongwiththeassurancethatthistypeofthinghappens‘allthetime.'”
Bob Dylan has responded to the backlash over his use of an autopen on 900’signed’ copies of his new book and recent artwork prints.
Dylan explained in a statement posted on his Facebook page that a combination of circumstances had prevented him from signing the works. “…in 2019, I had a bad case of vertigo, which continued into the pandemic years,” he wrote, adding that signing sessions required a crew of five.
Dylan went on to say that he and his team were unable to “find a safe and workable way” to finish the signing sessions during the coronavirus pandemic. “So, during the pandemic, it was impossible to sign anything, and the vertigo didn’t help,” he went on, “and with contractual deadlines looming, the idea of using an auto-pen was suggested to me, along with the assurance that this kind of thing is done ‘all the time’ in the art and literary worlds.”
“Using a machine was a mistake that I want to correct right away.” To that end, I’m collaborating with Simon & Schuster and my gallery partners.”
Simon and Schuster issued refunds to customers after admitting that the books contained replica signatures despite being advertised as hand-signed by the artist himself. Each copy cost $600 and came with a special note from CEO Jonathan Karp claiming it was “hand-signed by Bob Dylan.”
When customers began comparing signatures on social media, the authenticity of the autographs was called into question. Following the discovery, copies that were listed for sale online were removed, with some listings asking as much as $6,000 for a copy.
The Philosophy of Modern Song, a collection of essays and anecdotes about Dylan’s discography and the music that inspired him throughout his career, was released on November 1st.
