The Motorcycle: Design ~ Art ~ Desire

Magnetoman

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Someone on another site asked me why the exhibition is in Brisbane. Although no one here asked that question, I'll repeat my answer anyway. Giving the full background would require quite a long essay, so I'll try to be as short as possible while still being accurate.

'The Art of the Motorcycle' that Ultan Guilfoyle and I (Charles Falco) curated for the Guggenheim twenty years earlier set an all-time attendance record for them, and in doing so became by far the most heavily-attended design exhibition of all time, as well as the fifth most heavily attended museum exhibition of any kind. As an aside, although design (a beautiful pen, or table, or motorcycle) and art (a Rodan sculpture or Monet painting) have features in common, there is a difference.

Ultan and I are both connected to the art world beyond having curated that exhibition.[*] For example, Ultan is former Director of the Filmmaking Department of the Guggenheim, and in his subsequent career as an independent filmmaker has made a number of documentaries about art museums, artists, and architects. I've had a twenty-year collaboration with the artist David Hockney, who is one of the world's most famous living artists,[**] and as a result I've given public lectures at the Hermitage, Uffizi, Metropolitan, etc., including the National Gallery of Art in Canberra.

[*] We're also life-long motorcyclists. Ultan rode trials in his youth in Ireland, rebuilt a Norton Commando in his office at the Guggenheim while we were working on 'The Art of the Motorcycle', and is currently assembling a Gold Star Catalina from ~2000 separate parts. I got a Honda 50 when I was 15, have never been without at least one motorcycle since then, and completely rebuilt the 1928 Ariel myself that I rode in the 2018 Cannonball.

[**]In the first episode of the new HBO series 'The Undoing', a scene with Nicole Kidman uses the fact a particular couple owns two Hockney paintings to establish how cultured and spectacularly wealthy they are.

QAGOMA is led by a Director, Chris Saines, who is quite visionary. When he approached us nearly three years ago about doing an exhibition of motorcycle design, both of us already knew it was one of Australia's most significant art museums, and we subsequently learned it has a large fraction of its visitors each year from overseas as well as from across Australia. Although our immediate reaction was neither of us was interested in doing what would be simply an update of 'The Art of the Motorcycle', Chris made clear from the start that he wasn't interested in us doing that, either. Twenty years ago it was revolutionary enough to fill a major art museum with motorcycles, so our approach at that time had to be conservative. Basically, it was ~100 motorcycles in simple chronological order. Today there isn't the same constraint, so our approach could be quite different. And, it is.

Anyway, that's a heavily-condensed overview of how the exhibition came into being in the first place, and why it's in Brisbane. That said, from the start we've intended for it to tour after its run in Brisbane. However, discussions with other locations are on hold until the world gets back to normal.

Since most people reading this won't be able to see it in Brisbane even if Queensland opens its borders soon, the 320-page catalog(ue) we wrote for the exhibition is a worthwhile substitute. It's a heavily-illustrated stand-alone book that looks at the past, present, and future of motorcycles and motorcycle design. For what it's worth, the last I looked, Amazon was taking pre-orders for pre-Christmas delivery at significantly less than it will retail for after publication.
 

Magnetoman

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The catalog(ue) showed up at QAGOMA exactly three weeks ago, and at the homes of lenders to the exhibition a few days later. However, the book's authors clearly were on the 'low priority' list since our copies only arrived today. But, it was well worth the wait. There's something about the gravitas of a book vs. a pdf on a computer screen.

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For what it's worth, I can't think of any book quite like this one. In addition to over 350 color photographs on high quality paper, there are essays on motorcycle design and culture by an award-winning film director who has been a close observer of these topics for decades, and essays on the technology, history and future of motorcycles by an award-winning physicist and academic who also has been a close observer of these topics for decades. These backgrounds, and the perspectives they result in, are not found in the usual authors of motorcycle books.

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Also, a few Vincent owners make an appearance.

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I honestly can say that if even if I had to pay for this 320-page book I definitely would buy it. However, there's less to that endorsement than meets the eye since I buy every motorcycle book. Tracking shows three boxes of additional copies have cleared processing and are awaiting departure for the U.S. from the Brisbane airport. I know what at least a few people on my Christmas list will be getting this year. They'll be available in most of the world at the end of this month, and in the U.S. in early December.
 

vibrac

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Someone has certainly soaked some money and time into this project many of the other motorcycle forums have also been given this same thread.
A great pity to happen when most of the world is locked down.
 

Magnetoman

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A great pity to happen when most of the world is locked down.
The original plan would have had me working on-site right now, rather than remotely, deciding on installation details during the day, and sipping wine in an Airbnb on the beach as the sun set into the Pacific each evening. But, no, covid ruined all that. Well, not all of it. Brisbane ruined the sunset part by being on the wrong coast...
 

Magnetoman

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If you are an early riser then an orange juice and a sunrise are pretty good too.
We take our granddaughters off their parents' hands for on-line schooling twice a week at 7:15 am. That's roughly 2 hours earlier than any civilized person should have to do anything other than sip coffee. Although it's not quite early enough to see the sunrise, it will be as the days shorten. I'd say I'm looking forward to seeing the sun rise, but that would be a lie, since I'd rather be asleep.
 

Magnetoman

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I just finished a FaceTime walking tour of the exhibition as it stands today. The first of the three large rooms still has work taking place, but has over 90% of the bikes installed so it's possible to get a very good idea of what it will look like on opening day in less than three weeks. The second room only has the plinths and screens installed (for short clips), but none of the bikes as yet, and the third room is a beehive of activity. All but two of the bikes are in hand, with arrival of the last two imminent.

The exhibition truly looks amazing. I dearly wish I could see it in person. Sigh...
 
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