Back in November last year I thought I'd search the internet for articles about cycling in Darwin. That was when I first read an article by Mike Rubbo on his blog Situp-cycle.com. I think he actually came all the way to Darwin just to find out about our bicycle culture and what it was like to ride a bike in the only state in Australia where cyclists haven't been hit over the head with draconian Helmet laws. I was surprised to find that he had actually done a bit of research, provided some statistics and even created a short documentary film to share his experience of cycling in Darwin. See Darwin Shows the Way.
Mike is a Sydney based cyclist/blogger who happens to be an advocate for the mode of cycling he calls Sit-up cycling. It's a kind of attitude toward riding or a philosophy of normalizing the bicycle as a legitimate urban transport option. You can read his blog if you want a detailed definition of this.
(Riding with a guitar by Mike Rubbo)
Mike also happens to be quite a good artist and he specializes in, You guessed it... BICYCLE ART!
Now there's a whole heap of great propaganda Art around the bicycle activist scene, a lot of what I've seen is related to event posters, either hand drawn and reproduced or art produced using fancy graphic art computer programs. Mike's art is quite different to everything else I've seen. He uses three main mediums, Rubbings, Lino-Cuts and Solar-prints. The effects are absolutely beautiful! I love the swirling scratchy lines he produces particularly in the rubbings. They have such a soft and mystical feel. People and bicycles communing with the elements of wind, light and movement. All aspects are linked with flowing lines that barely separate the subjects from the their backgrounds. It's as though the person, the bike and the environment are somehow all united. I really love this stuff. If you're into Bicycle Art (does such a genre even exist) Check out his Bicycle Art Blog. It's well worth taking a tour through his amazing images.
These images allow me to dwell, if only for a short time, in a kind of transportation Utopia. A place where cars are scarce and people have more time to enjoy the pleasures of the outdoors as they cycle contentedly about their daily business, to work, shops, school or just having fun.
I am reminded of H.G Wells quote:
I am reminded of H.G Wells quote:
"Every time I see an adult on a bicycle, I no longer despair for the future of the human race."Peace!
