As an art student and a cyclist I often want to incorporate the two. Though when I seem to do only those who cycle seem to enjoy the pieces, do you think this is a matter of imagery or do people who are not involved in bikes really just hate bikes? haha I was offered a spot on a tour across America this coming summer with Ride:Well Tour and for some fundraising I am thinking about printing some smallish prints and selling them. So I just wanted to get some opinions about the cycling related art. I am doing some sketches now so I can post those to give a better idea when they are closer to being complete.

thanks SSFG army.

I love cycling art. I frequent ffffound.com and they usually have at least one piece of art involving bikes on the first two pages if not more.

RISD is famous for making their applicants draw a picture of a bicycle however they choose as a submission piece. I've always wanted to try and make some sculptures using found bike parts, but I don't really have much welding experience, heh. Show us your work!

It's not that people hate bikes, it's just that they don't care about cycling. You have to make things that people want to look at, and a picture of a guy riding a bike is going to be overlooked by the majority of people because it has no universal appeal. It's about focus, not aesthetics or philosophy.

Which is ridiculous to me. I'm not interested in flowers or landscapes but appreciate good art when I see it.

fair enough. There are some great paintings and pictures and whatever of flowers but when I see a flower outside I don't think it's great and wonderful so where is that line that makes someone stop? is it the "good" art line that makes someone stop or is it all based on prior interests? A cyclist would likely stop and look at a cycling piece because he knows about it but not everyone is a botanist and a lot of people enjoy O'Keefe's naughty flowers. It's an interesting thought I wanted to see other opinions.

I don't think the subject matter is that big of a deal. You said it matters about focus and not aesthetics but I think art is actually the complete opposite of that. If a piece of ****ing brilliant, but the subject matter doesn't appeal to me, I'll still love it, I just won't identify with it immediately.

I don't think flowers are any more interesting than bikes either. Anything can be the subject of a great piece of art. The most beautiful thing in the world could be painted in a very boring way, and no one would ever care about the painting, despite its beauty. Likewise, the most boring and ugly things can be turned into the most beautiful and interesting works of art. It all depends on what you, the artist, make of it. You have to make people see things in new and interesting ways. If you just paint a bicycle, you haven't done this. Try the O'Keefe thing and paint a bike that looks like a vagina.

Yes, this.

k number one, this would be screen printed so where the black is would be both the blue and red printed on top of each other to make a muddy blackish color.

take two

quote by James E. Starrs

I think it comes down to if the audience can relate to it. I mean, everyone has tried to have sex with flowers, that's why O'Keefe's stuff was so popular.

(just kidding)

But seriously, most people just don't relate to cycling. They don't "get it". It's just riding a bike to them. Just like some people can't relate to ethnic art. Like a scene of an African American girl getting her hair combed by her mom. Some people will get it because they know it's 30 minutes of pure hell that both people involved hate to do, but it's necessary and worth it in the end. And certainly a bonding experience for it all.

There are similar scenes in cycling: Epic climbs, sprints, being and feeling alone on long rides, "digging deep", etc...that only cyclists can relate to.

...so only hipsters are gonna relate to hipsters in hipster-themed art.

oh.

I think it works if the bike is used more as a symbol than a theme

so make cycling related art but make it relevant to anyone who comes across it? it's like selling out, I want to find what intrigues people about art then relate it to cycling-related art haha. Good discussion though keep it coming.

It's not selling out...it's selling.

Personally, I don't care how "deep" someone's art is, if it's of no interest to me, why the heck do I care?

The only time an artist can truly be fulfilled and not "sell out" is when what he/she creates happens to coincide with what people are interested in...and interested in buying.

Kind of like my black wayfarer eyeglasses. Girls thought I was so trendy. They didn't know that I'd been wearing them for years before not as a fashion statement, but because they were the ONLY frames that I could get to fit my huge head. I sort of stumbled into it. Awesome. But, it's gonna suck a year or two from now when that look is dated and hated. Oh well.

So, people will "get you" when the stuff you like to do coincides with what people like. Until then you can be frustrated or make sh*t that they like. They do have the money after all.

Oh and, Artists who were "before their time" got lucky.

As a fellow artist, why not paint whatever you want? j

I will print and make whatever I want of course just seems the niche of cycling art is stuck online and not as often seen in print or a tangible painting.

maybe i'll get lucky haha I'll keep putting up sketches and stuff for you fools to look at and critique. If anyone has some cycling related art that they made they should put it in here so we can check it out.

Here some Mike Giant Hipster Cycle tees from me collection:

non drive side

Not sure many here can actually critique, maybe criticize.

I have a painting from a while ago, nothing special though

^ Doesn't look like a vagina to me. Just sayin, bro...

Maybe female reproductive parts should be my motif.

this photo only appeals to those who adore telephone poles.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/emosubaru/4698790238/
and freeway retaining walls
https://www.flickr.com/photos/emosubaru/4744378396/