Lightning Bolts + Innovation Art Show
I was recently asked by Bob Kronbauer to take part in an exhibition curated by Nike, celebrating BMX making it to the Olympics for the first time in history, with a selection of artists who share the common bond of BMX as an early inspiration. Nike have collaborated with Bob Haro on the uniforms for the riders, but also in the canvas for the show which was one of Haro’s original lightning bolt number-plates.
“The Haro number plate was a landmark product in BMX. Within this plastic panel is the story of a 16 year old BMX kid bending sheets of laminate over his mom’s stove, hand crafting each plate and number as a way to support his riding. It is one of the first examples of iconic graphic design in the sport of BMX. The product was also a piece of functional sport performance equipment that doubled as a platform for individual creativity, giving every kid in BMX a “blank canvas” to express themselves. It was the point on the bicycle where speed met style.
Bob Haro went on to leverage this successful product and create a brand name in BMX that was always rooted in great design. Bob’s next contribution to the sport was even more iconic as he fused his love of skateboarding and BMX into a new sport category called freestyle. Bob and his friends literally opened the doors of imagination of what could be done on a bicycle, riding in the streets, skateparks, and on ramps.”
The artworks will all be auctioned off in public to generate funding and awareness for The Land Of Plenty. The other 30 artists include some great creators, some people that really influenced me at an early age, Bob Haro, Andy Jenkins, Mark Lewman, John Martin, Kevin Wilkins, Todd Bratrud, Yogi Proctor, Michael Leon, Dave Fox, Nick Phillip, Jeff Tremaine, Gork Barrette, Michael Lau, Rich Hansen, Joe Polevy, Ronnie Bonner, Norman Chuck, Dave Ortiz, Andy Mueller, Greg Higgins and David Slade.
The Lightning Bolts show will debut in Beijing, China on May 15, 2008. And if your interested in a little bit of a history lesson you should watch the documentary Joe Kid on a Stingray.
