The MGM National Harbor casino resort in suburban Washington D.C. will get a contribution from legendary musician Bob Dylan when it opens later this year. But it won’t be a song, it will be an iron gate. Apparently Dylan’s hobby has been working with iron and metal, welding together “found objects” like farm equipment, children’s toys, kitchen utensils and antique firearms to chains, cogs, axes and wheels.
In 2013, a London gallery exhibited some of his works of art in this genre, but the Maryland casino will be the first permanent work of art in a public space. The 26-foot X 15-foot iron archway is called “Portal” and will have a prominent place in MGM National Harbor.
Like his lyrics, Dylan waxes philosophic about his gate.
“Gates appeal to me because of the negative space they allow,” he says. “They can be closed, but at the same time they allow the seasons and breezes to enter and flow. They can shut you out or shut you in. And in some ways, there is no difference.”
