Active transportation the focus of new art exhibit

Owls, vampires and the Esplanade Riel: Push Pedal Stride puts bikes in unique new guises

“Biking is a hoot,” oil on canvas by Sarah Neville. Courtesy Graffiti Gallery
“Three Bicycles,” oil on canvas by Robert Burton. Courtesy Graffiti Gallery

Inspired by active transportation, the newest exhibit on display at the Graffiti Gallery explores the thrill of self-transport, from mud-covered inconvenience to high-speed exuberance.

The idea for Push Pedal Stride started with a small bicycle art show at the Bike Shorts Film Festival last year, explained Pat Lazo, the gallery’s artistic director.

“I proposed that we make it a bigger event,” Lazo said. “There was enough interest in active transportation to do a show.”

Bicycles are featured prominently throughout the exhibit and appear under many guises. One moment, the watching eyes of an owl; the next, a vampire’s choice mode of transportation; or, a quiet partner on a sunny pathway leading to the Esplanade Riel.

“(The show is) anything that has to do with not using a car,” said Bob Veruela, the gallery’s office manager.

Cars are definitely nowhere to be found, replaced instead by gears, shoes and wheels of different shapes and sizes.

With so many contributors, finding a piece that connects you to active transportation is easy.

It captures the grime and discomfort that sometimes accompanies biking: a sour-faced biker midway through a puddle, surrounded by dark, all-reaching splashes

“There’s a broad range of artists – a little bit of everything to please everybody,” Lazo said.

Lazo’s own contribution to the show captures the grime and discomfort that sometimes accompanies biking: a sour-faced biker midway through a puddle, surrounded by dark, all-reaching splashes.

Another piece, Walk to School by Jill Ramsey, features a plaid jacket with a felt piece sewn onto it that reads, “I walked 50 C rain each way uphill no shoes.” Clearly, self-transport does not come without some degree of chagrin.

The show has proven to be popular, with the opening night drawing more than 200 people.

“Active transportation in the city is going in a good direction,” Lazo said.

Push Pedal Stride is on display at the Graffiti Gallery at 109 Higgins Ave. until Thursday, Nov. 4.

Published in Volume 65, Number 6 of The Uniter (October 7, 2010)

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