nonsite

I’ve been thinking a great deal about the importance of making artworks that relate to good citizenship, that are responsible and that embrace values that indicate the promise of a better tomorrow. I’ve also been thinking more about a self-defined communities of like minded individuals with common interests and other values that I feel are important- like collaboration and co-creation and a refined sense of quality and craft. Bicycles, as a subculture with the potential for a high degree of customizability that also relates to my own personal interests.

Last spring I made my first single speed bicycle. It was a hybrid, rebuilt from a Giant 23″ road bike. I didn’t know that much about the maker- Giant, but I bought it used from Our Community Bikes on Main Street, here in Vancouver. They stripped it down, replaced the tires and rims and converted it to a single speed. Every since then I’ve been thinking more and more about bike culture. What’s great about bicycles is that they’re everywhere, and while they’ve been around for years and are generally the same, there are big regional and national differences. The bicycles in Amsterdam, for example are very different from Vancouver.

In any large city there is a huge market for a great variety of used bicycles. Last summer I decided to see if I could find another used road bike to refurbish as a new bicycle. I started by looking on Craigs List and I found a used Nishiki that a student at UBC was selling. I bought it and took it apart. I am now getting it airstripped and powdercoated. I have chosen a beautiful bright green- it’s a little bright, but instantly recognizable. I wanted to choose a colour that was optimistic and distinctive.