Welcome to ArtBiker World

Welcome to the blog of Matthew “Comrade” Linton aka ArtBiker. Here you will find a collection of biker related book and movie reviews, rally talk and calendars, an honest portrayal of the biker lifestyle, an insight into the biker industry, tattoo artist spotlights, and a collection of the best biker art and photography anywhere.

Matthew has been involved in biker culture for over 20 years.  He has traveled extensively throughout the lower 48 United States, and has belonged to a few motorcycle organizations.  He is a professor of fine arts, a husband, father, patch holder, and explorer.  It is our hope that you will enjoy the information and insights shared in the ArtBiker World Blog.  Please do not hesitate to send your thoughts, topic ideas, products for review, or any other information you care to share.  

Love, Respect, and Ride Safe.

The ArtBiker Staff

Sturgis and the 2010 Harley Models…

Well, Sturgis is just around the corner and many of you are gearing up for the pilgrimage to your favorite biker destination.  I was all ready to go, but my plans are now up in the air.  My Club Brothers are all going at different times and taking different routes which makes planning a little tricky when you want to see everyone, plus friends from the East Coast have had some life changes that are keeping them close to home and a big push for me to be sure to attend was my bro’s 40th b-day celebration.

All that aside, Sturgis is going to be the official unveiling of the 2010 Harley Davidsons and I am chomping at the bit to see what is new.  Honestly, I don’t expect too many changes as the past five or six years have re-vamped just about everything in the stable as well as the intro of the new Rocker.

But, I am excited all the same.  I have been telling the Ol’ Lady that I will be retiring my trusty Deuce and trading up (?) to a touring rig.  I have my eye on a Street Glide and there is a rumor out there that this year will bring a FLHX to the CVO lineup.  Now that would be something to consider.

What do you think is going to happen?  Have you heard any good rumors?

Love, Respect, and Gossip,

ArtBiker

Sydney Airport Biker Brawl Update

A second alleged member of the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club has been charged in the fatal brawl that occurred March 22^nd at Sydney Airport and took the life of Anthony Zervas.

Zervas, 29, was the brother of senior Hells Angels member Peter Zervas (32) who was the first Hells Angel to be charged over the incident.  Tuesday’s charging of a 25-year-old man from Greystanes in Sydney’s west brings the number of people charged over the brawl to ten.

The violent clash between Comanchero and Hells Angels has sparked a police crackdown on illegal motorcycle club activity, with police vowing last week to bring forth many more charges related to the incident.

Ruben “Doc” Cavazos and Mongols Update

According to federal court documents, Ruben “Doc” Cavazos, past President of the Mongols Motorcycle Club, and several other members, have entered a guilty plea to one count of racketeering and faces a life prison sentence.

That charge and several others are contained in a 177-page indictment filed against Cavazos and 78 other defendants. The federal case details a pattern of murder, attempted murder, drug dealing and racially motivated attacks. It also alleges that Cavazos sought to join an alliance with the Mexican Mafia to garner profits from trade in illegal drugs.

As part of his guilty plea (Cavazos) agreed to the forfeiture of all right, title and interest in certain assets acquired or maintained by him… including… the `Mongols Registered Trademarks’ or `marks.’”

Cavazos was arrested after a three-year undercover investigation ended in October of 2008.  During a nationwide, federal sweep targeting members of the outlaw motorcycle club, authorities arrested 61 people in Southern California.

Love, Respect, and Ride Safe,

ArtBiker

Weekend Pass: Smoking Ban in Sturgis?

Are you a smoker?  Well, I used to be.  In fact, the first thing I did after my surgery for cancer was get out of the hospital, go home to my patio, and light up a smoke.  I was an idiot, but have since quit for good… been about eight years now.  One thing that has changed in this world, besides the fact that you have go to be RICH to afford a two or three pack a day habit, is that society has really worked over the smoker and wants to keep him/her away from anyone and everyone while they partake of their nasty habit.

As a non-smoker I would be lying if I said I didn’t enjoy being able to go out to eat and not have to sit in a restaurant where the only thing harder to cut than the steak is the smoke in the air, but that doesn’t mean that I think smokers should lose their rights.

Anyway, right, wrong, or indifferent, a challenge against the petition that would push a statewide smoking ban to a public vote could mean that South Dakota goes non-smoking sooner than expected. The signatures in question are under review in the Secretary of State’s office.

An immediate enactment of the smoking ban would mean enforcing the new rules with thousands of visiting bikers as Sturgis is gearing up for its 69^th Annual Rally.  Good luck with that, fellas.  I think it would be nearly impossible to enforce with such little time to prepare.

That said, many of us who religiously go to Sturgis know to what lengths the law can go to not only enforce rules that should be enforced, but to help enforce things that just pad the coffers and really amount to no more than glorified harassment.  So, while the law may or may not pass, and while you may or may not agree with it, and it may or may not be enforced, you should know what you are heading towards and if the law passes, keep a few extra dollars in your pocket in case you have to pay a fine on the spot before being hauled into the clink for a night.

Love, Respect, and Smoke Free,

ArtBiker

Harley Re-Introduces the Trade In Sporty Deal

With the Ride Free II Guarantee, Harley-Davidson has restarted the popular campaign that offers the same price guarantee for recently purchased Sportster’s when riders want to trade them up for a larger motorcycle.

Harley-Davidson is promising the special guarantee on the value of its Sportster motorcycles by backing their trade-in on Big Twin and V-Rod® motorcycles for up to one year.  Riders who buy a new Sportster® 883 or 1200 motorcycle at a participating dealership between July 1, 2009 and August 31, 2009, will get the original MSRP value when they trade in for a new Harley-Davidson Big Twin or V-Rod motorcycle within one year.

MSRP value used for trade-in will be the factory-delivered MSRP (including factory installed options) of the qualifying new motorcycle excluding parts and accessories, taxes, titles, licenses, set-up/prep charges, Extended Service Plan, GAP coverage and any dealer add-ons, and regardless of the amount actually paid.

Hope it works for them… I know it makes me want to buy one of those new XR1200s… best motorcycle around according to a number of magazines… Sure would be fun to play with for a year before I finally turn old enough to get my butt on a touring rig.

Love, Respect, and Sportys,

ArtBiker

Art Exhibition Update(s) and Art Talk Tonight

Last Friday I posted about five amazing new art exhibitions coming up that concern bikes, bikers, and the biker lifestyle.  I have also had the privilege of being contacted by a couple museum folks with some more specific info.

The first comes in the form of a comment from Corinne from the Kimball Art Center… she mentions that tonight, Thursday, July 9, they are presenting a FREE art talk–using Bikeriders as a backdrop, Art History/Photographer Professor James Swensen will talk about photo culture/counter culture of the 1960s.  If you are in the area, please check this out and let me know what you think!

The second is a longer note from artist/photographer Tom Zimberoff himself.  I am printing it as it came to me:

Thanks for the write-up, Matt.

FYI, the exhibition at the Appleton Museum will be every bit as extensive as the Clinton Library show, including 125 photographic prints, including the large-format portraits of the artists who created the choppers.

I’m not sure the Sturgis event will be “annual;” we’ll see how successful it is this first time around. It’s hard to fill up an air-conditioned, track-lighted 53′-long trailer with new prints every year, especially because I don’t actively shoot anymore. We will feature one chopper inside the truck: Trevelen’s El Peligroso. I will include the “Wall of Portraits,” with 58 examples of the portraits I have made of artists in the chopper genre. Many of them will be making unscheduled pit stops to show off their bikes and sign autographs in front of our truck situated at MonkeyRock.

Incidentally, I always try to point out that the Appleton and Clinton shows are, indeed, art shows not “bike shows.” Ours is the first and only comprehensive collection of motorcycles created explicitly as contemporary art. It raises the bar for prestige, extending the appeal of custom motorcycles to a broader audience, beyond the motorcycling community. It is further distinguished by its emphasis on the roles of individual artists in addition to the influences of their work.

It’s been more than a decade since the Guggenheim Museum’s exhibition of The Art of the Motorcycle debuted. It is still the fifth most successful art show of all time worldwide. With more than three million attendees in New York, Chicago, Las Vegas, and Bilbao it rivals The Treasures of Tutankhamun. That number seems like reason enough for a corollary exhibition. The Clinton and Appleton represent our “off-Broadway” rehearsal runs. Our goal is to bring AOTC to the Smithsonian, the Getty, MoMA . . . perhaps Centre Pompidou in Paris and another venue in Asia.

The Guggenheim didn’t set out to acknowledge artists. It presented a chronological collection of commercially-produced motorcycles to illustrate the evolution of twentieth century industrial design. There were virtually no examples—a single knock-off copy—of the V-twin paradigm that inspires the culture of custom motorcycles, an art form as indigenous to America as jazz, rock ’n’ roll, that has been similarly embraced and transformed worldwide.

Well, that’s it for a Sunday morning. Keep up the good work. I hope to see you in Sturgis or Ocala.

With my best regards,

TZ

Thanks to both for sending me info and updates… I look forward to seeing the shows if I can and wish the best of luck to all the exhibitors.

Love, Respect, and Fine Art!

ArtBiker

Tattoosday: Friday Jones Opening Sheik Boutique

It’s true, Friday is opening an upscale tattoo studio on 5th Avenue in New York City!  Yup, the same street as Saks is going to be the new home of Celebrity Couture Tattooist Friday Jones’ new shop, Friday Jones Fifth Avenue.  Can’t get any more hip than that!

The new shop promises to combine the “luxury and personal care of ‘couture’ with the artistry and design that comes with getting inked by a specialized tattoo artist.”   The shop will also carry Friday’s very own tattoo product line, Friday Jones Wholesome Tattoo Care.  This new line was created in conjunction with New Jenson of MBI Nutraceuticals and is an advanced formula for nourishing skin that is an all-natural alternative to what is currently on the market.

Friday’s new website, www.fridayjones.net, has a nice little bio on the artist extraordinaire:

“Friday Jones is truly redefining the art of tattoos with the Fifth Avenue introduction of her ‘couture tattoo’ experience in spring 2009. Having worked with clients ranging from Angelina Jolie, Janeane Garofalo, The Neville Brothers, Robbie Williams, Lydia Hearst and Aubrey O’Day – she is known for providing an overall experience that combines fine art, detailed craftsmanship, and personal, as well as spiritual, components that transcend what tattoo art has previously been known to be.

More than a tattoo artist, Friday’s designs continue to win many awards and are showcased in art galleries across the United States. Her art has also been featured on the cover of Robbie Williams’ 2002 Escapology album, as well as The Celtic Warrior Axe designed for Fender-Jackson guitars.

Friday Jones began her journey into tattoo art with an apprenticeship at the prestigious Inksmith & Rogers studios in Florida in the early 1990’s, which she completed while simultaneously earning a Bachelor of Science in Philosophy and Art at Jacksonville University. A member of the National Tattoo Association since 1994, she was selected at the organization’s annual convention in April 2009 as the youngest on a panel of six (along with Ed Hardy) that roasted the legendary San Francisco tattooist Lyle Tuttle (who inked Janis Joplin and is the only tattooist ever to appear on the cover of Rolling Stone).

By opening the first-ever tattoo studio on Fifth Avenue in New York June 2009, Friday Jones continues to transform the art and experience of tattoos.”

Sounds to me like Friday is joining the likes of Brandon Bond, Paul Booth,  and Guy Aitchison & Michelle Wortman in setting up a truly remarkable environment in which to experience the art and act of tattooing.  I look forward to seeing what happens and to checking out her new shop the next time I get back East.  Friday has recently gifted ArtBiker World and the University of Houston- Clear Lake each an original fine art work for their respective collections.  Jones was one of the hand picked artists to take part in the exhibition, “Artists of Permanence: the fine art of the tattooist,” and we are thrilled that she has given such a gracious donation of herself.  Please help us out in supporting Friday and her new shop whenever you are in the area.

Love, Respect, and Tattoo Couture,

ArtBiker

Fine Art Fridays: Five Biker Art Exhibitions! Motorcycles Take Center Stage in Galleries

Most of you are well aware that I exhibit my biker related artwork internationally and feel that I am very fortunate to do so.  I have been at it a long time and it seems that more and more venues are popping up that are willing to exhibit bikes and biker related imagery.  I think it all hit the mainstream with the HUGE exhibit, The Art Of The Motorcycle that debuted in NYC’s Guggenheim back in the 1990’s.  I remember riding down from my home in Boston to check it out.  It ended up being one of, if not the most attended exhibit the Guggenheim has ever seen!

In any case, this week we have four big exhibition announcements to bring to you and I hope you can attend at least on of the events.

First, Danny Lyons amazing document of the Outlaws Motorcycle Club during the 1960’s, entitled The Bikeriders, is currently on exhibit at the Kimball Art Center in Park City, Utah.  I have not had the opportunity to see this entire collection on display at the same time, but have seen some of the images over the years.  Beautiful!  Really worth checking out.  If you can’t get to the show, do yourself a favor and pick up the book by Danny by the same name as the exhibit.  The show runs through July 26^th and you can find out more by visiting the website www.kimball-art.org

Second, Sunday, July 12, the SURU Gallery in Los Angeles, California will open up the show Celeritas (Latin for Speed). The artists participating in this exhibit are: Alex Pardee, Jeff McMillan, Stash, Barry McGee (aka Twist and the artist painting the Hayabusa, who is also featured on the cover of the latest issue (#14) of Swindle magazine), Futura, Mark Dean Veca, Usugrow, Joe Hahn, Jim Lee, Jesse James, Troy Lee, James Jean, Audrey Kawasaki, Darren Romanelli, aka DRx, Nathan Cabrera, Mike Shinoda, Estevan Oriol. A display of fine art inspired by passion’s urgency, themed through the medium of motorcycling, and realized on the objects of road racing culture such as a motorcycle, helmets and apparel will be the focus of the show.

Third, we have The Wind In Your Hair: Vintage Motorcycles being exhibited at The Kentucky Museum of Art and Craft in Louisville from July 18 to September 19, 2009. The exhibit will feature vintage motorcycles manufactured from 1900 to 1970, memorabilia and accessories, three motorcycle-related photography collections by Michael Lichter, Danny Lyon and Sarah Lyon, and kinetic lamp sculptures created from recycled motorcycle parts by Randel Bird.  The Museum will also host a series of restoration and customizing workshops and lectures about collecting motorcycles and the cultural influences of motorcycles in the 20th and 21st centuries.

The exhibit will include rare, unusual and landmark motorcycles of all kinds, including ACE, BMW, Cushman, Douglas, Eagle, Indian, Harley, Excelsior, Motomarini, Triumph, Sunbeam, and Velocette. One of the oldest bikes featured will be a 1911 Yale, with a tandem seat and original paint designs. This rare, early 20th century bike is the only one still in existence today.

Fourth in the line up of shows is going to be up and available during Sturgis Bike Week in South Dakota this year.  This will be the first annual Tom Zimberoff Art of the Chopper Photography Exhibition.  Again, if you are not familiar with this body of work, you might like to pick up one or both of the Art of the Chopper books that Zimberoff has available.  Tom has not only created beautiful documents of the custom machines that builders have created, but has done a wonderful job of creating striking portraits of each of the builders in their own shops.  It should make for a nice show and will run from August 1st to 10th, from 10am to 6 pm at “The Monkey Rock”, 13010 SD Highway 34, Sturgis SD 57785.

Lastly, we have another Art of the Chopper exhibition.  This one has recently debuted at the William J. Clinton Presidential Library in Little Rock, Arkansas.  I am unsure as to how much this show will differ from the exhibit at the Monkey Rock in Sturgis, but I believe it will be a much more thorough display including 30 actual bikes displayed as sculptural pieces and accompanied by Tom’s photographs and detailed background information.  This show is also in Florida, so any of you who can’t make the trek up to Sturgis, but are in the Southeast portion of the country might be able to make it down. Ocala Appleton Museum of Art is located at 4333 E. Silver Springs Blvd. (State Road 40) in Ocala; FL. Tickets go on sale July 15 at the museum or go to the Ocala Appleton Museum Website.  The show will be up from Oct. 10, 2009 to Jan. 10, 2010.  Might be worth a side trip while you are down there for Biketoberfest.

Love, Respect, and Biker Art,

ArtBiker

Weekend Pass: New Ordinance for Sturgis

We have just heard from the folks at the Sturgis Rally Headquarters that there will be a new law in affect for this year’s rally. The City of Sturgis has passed a new parking/storage ordinance that “prohibits parking or storage of any trailer, recreational vehicle, implement, vehicle or other personal property on any public right-of-way.”

It includes: 
A) leaving any car, pick up, motorcycle, camper or RV in any public right of way for more than five (5) consecutive days; B) Leaving any farm tractor, implement, trailer, truck or truck tractor in any public right of way for more than twenty-four (24) hours; or C) During the period of July 20-August 15, leaving any RV or camper in any public right of way for more than twenty-four (24) hours. 
 
Items being stored in violation of this ordinance will be subject to fines and the police department will tow the vehicle. Special permission for temporary storage needs may be granted in advance form the PD. For further info call Sturgis PD 605.347.5070

Sons of Anarchy Season II Starts

On September 8th 2009…. on FX.

I know a lot of you have been waiting to hear this.

Love, Respect, and TV,

ArtBiker