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.
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!)
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]
A room full of messengers, cycling advocates, commuters and fans turned up for this past weekend’s Bike Short Films at Public Assembly. Out of the 17 films, there was a good mix of stuff from the stupid to the serious. It was fun to see the messengers go all silent when a Streetfilm went up and the advocates do the same for the trick videos but all in all there was a love of bicycles and mutual respect in the room. Hats off to the organizers for bringing everyone together. Scroll down for even more video love.
The winner: Shut Your Mouth – Fake Money feat. G. Nasty
One of my favorites: Pedal Away From Global Decay
Ghostbikes put out a hauntingly beautifully short, which will hopefully be online soon. In mean time, check out some of the other shorts:
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.
Can you imagine if they replaced that giant tree composed of many other trees in Rockefeller center with something a little more sustainable? London’s got the right idea.
Sarah Wigglesworth Architects has been commissioned by developers igloo to create a bespoke Christmas tree for Bermondsey Square, London, SE1. The Bermondsey Square Christmas tree is composed of 35 recycled bike wheels, set on a simple structure, in the recognisable shape of a Christmas Tree. [via Architects Journal h/t @rachelleraehouse for the find!]
You might remember last year of a major dispute between the Hasidic community and bicycle community in Williamsburg regarding the Kent Ave bike lane. While that lane though redesigned stayed, last week the DOT stripped 14 blocks of bike lane off the street neighboring Bedford Ave with no warning or community voice. Bedford Ave bike lane provides a direct connection for cyclists to the the Williamsburg bridge – possibly the most highly trafficked bike commuter bridge in the city. The community is understandably upset considering how much work and community support must go into installing a bike lane. Apparently removing one requires no thought at all.
Yesterday Gothamist reported that a few people were arrested by the Shomrim or local watchdogs for trying to repaint the lane on Bedford though other sources report no one was actually arrested. Regardless, a group called “OccupyEverything” succeeded in repainting the lane anyway!
