Mood Swings: Bob Dylan’s New Art Exhibit “Swings” Towards Steampunk

As if “Bobby D” couldn’t get any awesomer, it turns out he has a new exhibit opening today at London’s Halcyon Gallery. The photos of his studio made me absolutely drool over his shelves of scrap metal bounty. His show centers on gates made of scrap gears, and he had this to say about his inspiration:

“Gates appeal to me because of the negative space they allow. They can be closed but at the time they allow the seasons and breezes to enter and flow. They can shut you out or shut you in. In some ways, there is no difference.”

Bob Dylan in his studio (source: Gizmodo)

I noticed a comment on the Gizmodo article lamenting the application of the label Steampunk to his work because Dylan uses steel instead of cast iron. Does that mean that clothes containing lycra can’t be Steampunk? Or that “real” Steampunk makeup would include zinc oxide powder even though its poisonous? Steampunk is an aesthetic that often (though obviously not always) includes the appearance and outlines of clockwork, not unlike Dylan’s exhibition Mood Swings.