David Byrne, Cultural Omnivore, Raises Cycling Rack to an Art Form
source: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/09/arts/design/09bike.html?ex=1218945600&en=366eeb98b0e5be5d&...
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- meligrosa
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A well written description about the David Byrne bike rack project. Very cool stuff.
David is a rad biking head.
-click above link for full article-
In recent years his interest in bicycles has expanded from riding them to thinking seriously about the role they play in urban life, as he has started making connections with politicians and international design consultants keen to keep cars from taking over the city. So when the Department of Transportation asked him to help judge a design competition for the city’s new bike racks, he eagerly agreed — so eagerly, in fact, that he sent in his own designs as well.
They were simple shapes to define different neighborhoods around the city: a dollar sign for Wall Street; an electric guitar for Williamsburg, Brooklyn; a car — “The Jersey” — for the area near the Lincoln Tunnel. “I said, ‘Well, this disqualifies me as a judge,’ ” he recalled, “but I just doodled them out and sent them in.”
But for the 364 days that the racks will be out on the streets, Mr. Byrne doesn’t want them to be admired as artwork, he said; he wants them to be lashed with heavy chains, banged with Kryptonites and scratched by gears. He wants them to be used.
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Find the WSJ video from last month here:
http://current.com/items/89170200_biking_with_david_byrne
David is a rad biking head.
-click above link for full article-
In recent years his interest in bicycles has expanded from riding them to thinking seriously about the role they play in urban life, as he has started making connections with politicians and international design consultants keen to keep cars from taking over the city. So when the Department of Transportation asked him to help judge a design competition for the city’s new bike racks, he eagerly agreed — so eagerly, in fact, that he sent in his own designs as well.
They were simple shapes to define different neighborhoods around the city: a dollar sign for Wall Street; an electric guitar for Williamsburg, Brooklyn; a car — “The Jersey” — for the area near the Lincoln Tunnel. “I said, ‘Well, this disqualifies me as a judge,’ ” he recalled, “but I just doodled them out and sent them in.”
But for the 364 days that the racks will be out on the streets, Mr. Byrne doesn’t want them to be admired as artwork, he said; he wants them to be lashed with heavy chains, banged with Kryptonites and scratched by gears. He wants them to be used.
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Find the WSJ video from last month here:
http://current.com/items/89170200_biking_with_david_byrne
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1percent
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I like the fact that the city is excited to have David as the spokesman for biking but also nervous about it as well... As they should fear a free thinker.....
The NYC cultural scene suffered tremendously during the "Giulliani" years. Especially bicycle culture. Bloomberg is not that much more help either, but because the bicycle has political clout nowadays, the "man" is now getting behind the two wheel plan.
I think the racks will be admired as artwork from passersby and more of a utilitarian object by cyclists.Like he said, you stand around long enough and someone will lock something to you..
Ride on David!
- 3 years ago
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1percent
