A bicycle is a work of art. From its flowing lines, to its tapered tubes and shiny surfaces; any cyclist knows that a beautiful ride is more than just a machine. For artist Bradley Harms, the integration of a bike into his art practice was a simple, but elegant, extension, Harms recently collaborated with Chapter2 bicycles, creating a special version of their KOKO aero road bike.
Bradley Harms’ artwork is a perfect fit for Chapter2 merging art with technical performance. Each of the lines used in the artwork that has inspired this creation is hand-drawn and layered to create a beautiful and dynamic piece of contemporary art.
Harms is an artist from Calgary, Alberta. He has studied at the University of Calgary, as well as the renowned School of the Art Institute of Chicago. As a painter, his work aims to change our concepts of form and surface. As a cyclist, he has come to love the experience of completeness when riding a bicycle. To combine a bicycle, a beautiful, functional and aesthetically-pleasing machine, with his own art, was a perfect fit.
Both he and fellow Calgarian Todd McCallum of Chapter2 bikes knew that there was a way that Harms could take a bicycle, and turn it into a rolling canvas. The idea was simple: create a work that the cyclist could appreciate while doing what they love: riding. It’s about creating a personal experience while aboard a Chapter2 bicycle.
The collaboration began when Harms and McCallum met through the Calgary cycling scene.
“We are both very passionate about cycling and the beauty of the bicycle,” Harms explains. “We met through mutual friends and when Todd found out that I was an artist, we set up a studio visit.”
The collaboration began over a coffee and an idea to create something different. When McCallum stepped foot into Harms’ studio, something magical happened.
“When Todd got to my studio, we just clicked and he loved the artwork. We had great conversations about how cycling is a highly aesthetic experience when you’re on the bike. I just saw all of the parallels that that happened with when you’re viewing artwork. as well and we just sort of kept riffing on that,” Harms says. “We tried to figure out how to bring more art to cycling and more cyclists to art.”
Harms says that the bridge from cycling to design is not a long one. It’s an integral part of cycling; any frame, jersey, helmet, shoe or sock is part of a carefully thought out-design. A bike like Chapter2 is designed…
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at Canadian Cycling Magazine…