Democratic White House contender Barack Obama is "redefining what a politician is", musician Bob Dylan has said.
The star added he hoped for a new political landscape after the US presidential election in November.
"America is in a state of upheaval," Dylan told The Times. "We've got this guy out there now who is redefining the nature of politics from the ground up."
The 66-year-old went on: "I'm hopeful that things might change. Some things are going to have to."
And he added that poverty, an issue which Mr Obama has promised to tackle if he were elected, was "demoralising" to society.
"You can't expect people to have the virtue of purity when they are poor," Dylan said.
Mr Obama declared himself the nominee of his party after receiving sufficient support to secure the position.
His Democratic rival, Hillary Clinton, has formally ended her 16-month campaign and has transferred her support to Mr Obama.
Art exhibition
Dylan has sold more than 110 million albums, the latest of which - Modern Times - reached number one in the US.
He is in the middle of a two-month European tour and plays in the Polish capital, Warsaw, on Saturday.
An exhibition of his drawings and sketches is going on show at the Halcyon Gallery in central London on 14 June.
It features art from his time on the road between 1989 and 1992.
"I haven't trained in any academy where you learn how to do something in the style of Degas or Van Gogh, or how to copy Da Vinci," he said in his interview with the British newspaper.
"I don't have that facility to copy note for note.
"Influenced by? If I had the ability to paint like any of those guys I might see the similarity, but I don't.
"If there is anything, it's just by accident and instinctive."
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7441708.stm