Bicycle Art

bicycle art

The bicycle has been a staple of transportation, recreation and fun since the early 1800s. Over 109 million bicycles are produced each year in the world.

In the modern age, bicycles are seen as a symbol of mobility, meritocracy, and freedom. Ai Weiwei, a contemporary Chinese artist, uses bicycles in his work to call attention to inequality and political systems that are authoritarian.

There have been a number of artworks that incorporate bicycles in various forms, from painting to sculpture. Bicycles have always been a subject of fine art.

Historically, bicycles have been depicted in paintings, in contexts of competitions and races, and in everyday life. Some of the more notable works include a 1913 painting by Natalia Goncharova, a 1949 painting by Fernand Leger, a 1907 painting by Robert W Paul, and a 1942 painting by Salvator Dali.

The bicycle has also been depicted as a symbol of technology, as in the 1896 drawing by Henri Toulouse-Lautrec titled The Simpson Chain. This illustration was an official advertisement for the chain manufactured by Simpson.

Another work of bicycle art is the Glowing Van Gogh Bicycle Path. The path features thousands of twinkling stones that charge during the day and glow at night. It is part of the Smart Highways project.

Another popular variation is upcycling old bicycle parts. For instance, the SeeSaw Bike was created by Andrew Gregg. The bike is made from Brooks England bike parts.

Finally, a 30-foot-high archway made by Mark Grieve and Ilona Specter at the Burning Man festival, which is held in Nevada’s Black Rock Desert, embodies the recycling message.