Enjoy creative ideas? Make art? Papergirl NYC is looking for “rollable” art submissions by Aug 15th. Papergirl began 5 years ago in Berlin as artists took their art to the streets imitating paperboys. PaperGirl distributes art to strangers on the street by bike after the art is shown in a gallery.
This year Papergirl will be exhibiting at the Dumbo Art Center from August 23-27, and then again at the Armory in Manhattan from August 28-29. The same art will then be shown at the Marketplace Gallery in Albany from September 3-6, and the art will be distributed in its home city the week thereafter.
One might argue that custom bikes have long been around since the days of the hand-built bike but now with the accessibility of the web and the global marketplace were are starting to see the customized bike marketplace explode. A cheap price tag, flashy colors and an Urban Outfitters collaboration helped Republic Bikes take off. Now we are starting to see Jellybean Bikes and Bikes by Me.
Bike by Me is another step towards simplicity in the custom colored bike game. The brand launched earlier this month, with it’s home base in Sweden. Visit the Bike by Me site and see what you can come up with. [via Highsnobiety]
We know there is a whole slew more of these sites so feel free to post away in the comments.
These wooden bicycle handlebar horns by Sung Kug Kim are totally impractical but beautiful pieces of art.
I totally love the mixture of wood with the steel, it’s a beautiful combination that looks both industrial and natural all at once. I know that the antler ones are a bit more impractical, but c’mon, you’d definitely take a second (or third) look if someone passed you on the street with something like these. [via Design Sponge]
Watching this video was definitely the highlight of my day. Scraper bikes, giving something to the kids in East Oakland where art meets bike. Oh an for those of you that don’t know a scraper bike is a
movement in which people ride their tricked out bikes. Generally, the bikes have nice designs, such as duo-tone paint jobs, and rims or spinners. The term was coined by the rap group Trunk Boiz of Oakland, California. (thx Urban Dictionary!)
This week marked the first time many bike NYC folks hit the streets since winter. Our bit of good weather combined with Google Maps launch of bicycling directions has made for an exciting bicycle filled week. Add to it this little find of activists taking to the streets to mark potholes with onomatopoeia.
Toronto’s street artist and bike activist collective Urban Repair Squad, known for making radical interventions in on-street signage to promote cyclists’ safety, recently unveiled a project. Their Pothole Onomatopoeia series appeared on Toronto’s Harbord Street recently, pointing out irregularities in the pavement with arrows and old school-Batman-style words like “THUNK!,” “OUCH!” and “OOF!” stenciled onto the street with bright spray paint. [h/t @sheepdontswim via @L Magazine]
I personally hit a pothole pretty hard this morning, but luckily didn’t get a flat. Friends have not been so lucky. Apparently if you are motorist you can file a claim with the city should you hit a pothole, but what about the cyclists? Anyone know if there is something in place for us?
Found this fantastic gallery of photos from Brooks Saddle factory in Smethwick England.
Metal parts are stamped out and heat-treated, flat pieces of leather are soaked and then formed in molds and the parts are all assembled by hand. After seeing how much work goes into a single bike seat, these famously expensive saddles start to look cheap. [via Doobybrain via Wired]
Master-Piece, known for their high quality bags and luggage, has produced a new series of bike chain covers. As usual you can count on the brand’s quality and styling. The bike chain comes in a series of colorways and will be released soon. Via Warp via Highsnobiety.
Eric Corriel, a Brooklyn based artist has created an interactive video installation that explores the history of bicycle culture in Brooklyn from 1880 to today. The piece is viewable at sundown on Clinton and Pierrepont Street in Brooklyn Heights from now until January 3rd, 2010 but check the calendar to be sure.
He’s looking for photo and video submissions from the cycling community. Help him out and become a part of the installation! [via Brooklyn Cycling]
