Q: Since you sent me the snapshots, I can imagine it pretty well; you seem to be a fairly hard-core biker. Is it a stable of riders, or do you collect a lot of them as visual objets? A: I collect bikes as bikes, not really as objects. In my own group of bikes I have only one that is too delicate to really ride. One thing that I really like about bikes is that they are functional. Most of my friends ride bikes and I often borrow and/or store them. I share a space with 5 people and they each have at least one bike. Personally, I have a fleet of 8 bicycles and I share a tandem with 2 other people. I just walked around the house and counted 22 bikes, including two rickshaws, a tandem and a unicycle. My boyfriend is really into bikes and has a bike shop; he has a web site too- http://www.bikeworksnyc.com . He is always getting in interesting things, and has been terrific about letting me borrow bikes. Sometimes, if someone has a really cool bike I will ask to borrow it. People are usually pretty into it, and have been really generous with their bikes. I just wish that I had more time! |
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A: My Life Is Full Of Bicycles. BikeRod&Kustom interview by Jim Wilson |
Taliah Lempert is an artist who chooses to depict bicycles in her work. Since BR&K is dedicated to the concept that bicycle building is an art form, we think that you will enjoy her thoughts on the subject. |
Q. One may well imagine how you would happen to do your first painting or drawing of a bicycle. They are ubiquitous, therefore ripe for still-lifehood should one feel the need for using subject matter commonly found around the home. The real question is: what is it about bicycles that makes you continue to call upon them as subject matter? You can't possibly have that many lying about the house, which would seem to rule out convenience as a motive. A. My life is full of bicycles. I have been painting my bike pictures for at least 3 years. My work before then was figurative. I was working on a group of paintings of legs and the bikes just seemed to follow naturally from that. I painted the first bike pictures with the idea that they should go with the leg pictures. I really like painting bikes. I guess that if they stop being so interesting to me then I would stop. For me this series works well for endless reasons. I really like bikes and it's great to look at them as well as ride them. I find that the shapes of a bike, the frame and components lend themselves to lovely abstract compositions while still maintaining their identity as real things. I have always liked the idea of painting a thing that someone really values and uses. I love to paint pictures of my friends' bikes. I encourage them to leave their bikes at my house when they are out of town. People have recognized their friends' bikes in my paintings, I always like that. Bikes make me think of the people who ride them. The symbol of a bicycle is a very powerful thing. People depend on them all over the world. For many they ARE freedom and independence. I do have more bicycles lying around than you would probably imagine. Talia's Snapshots: |
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Warming up before the labor day races at Kissena Track in Queens, NY. |
1999 NYC Century Ride. It's a fundraising ride for Transportation Alternatives. |
Me and my friends (Amanda and Wendy) pal'n around, I'm the blonde. |
Q: Since you sent me the snapshots, I can imagine it pretty well; you seem to be a fairly hard-core biker. Is it a stable of riders, or do you collect a lot of them as visual objets? A: I collect bikes as bikes, not really as objects. In my own group of bikes I have only one that is too delicate to really ride. One thing that I really like about bikes is that they are functional. Most of my friends ride bikes and I often borrow and/or store them. I share a space with 5 people and they each have at least one bike. Personally, I have a fleet of 8 bicycles and I share a tandem with 2 other people. I just walked around the house and counted 22 bikes, including two rickshaws, a tandem and a unicycle. My boyfriend is really into bikes and has a bike shop; he has a web site too- http://www.bikeworksnyc.com . He is always getting in interesting things, and has been terrific about letting me borrow bikes. Sometimes, if someone has a really cool bike I will ask to borrow it. People are usually pretty into it, and have been really generous with their bikes. I just wish that I had more time! |
Photo by Omri Ben-Amos |
