Modernism—and modern art—would never exist without bicycles. Alongside mechanical reproduction, few Industrial Revolution innovations had as much of a material impact on art and artists as the freedom afforded by bicycles. The capacity to swiftly ride self-supported, hither and yon, liberated women and men while opening environs and transforming cities by allowing for simplified commutes to and from work, shops, and for leisure.
In 1895, nearly 10 years before the Suffragette movement, Elizabeth Cady Stanton emphatically wrote, “The bicycle will inspire women with more courage, self-respect, self-reliance…” to which Susan B. Anthony expanded:
Let me tell you what I think of bicycling. I think it has done more to emancipate women than anything else in the world. It gives women a feeling of freedom and self-reliance. I stand and rejoice every time I see a woman ride by on a wheel…the picture of free, untrammeled womanhood.
Bicycling inspired modern writers, such as Alfred Jarry, who became entranced by bike racing. He captured his interest in the fantastical 1903 vignette, “The Passion Considered as An Uphill Bicycle Race,” in which he presents a struggling cyclist in a difficult hill-climb race as a metaphor for Christ's crucifixion. In turn, Jarry inspired Marcel Duchamp, whose Bicycle Wheel of 1913 definitively spun an ever-present revolution in Modern art.
This exhibition frames the 126 years from 1895 to 2021 with works by Nina Chanel Abney, Joseph Beuys, Ricardo Brey, Chris Burden, Rodney Graham, Louise Lawler, Christian Marclay, Jonathan Monk, Ebecho Muslimova, Claes Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen, Gabriel Orozco, Robert Rauschenberg, Edward Ruscha, Sarah Sze, Dorothea Tanning, and Géo Weiss (Emile Georges Weiss). The pieces consist of a wide range of materials, from vintage advertising to sculptural works that respond to bicycles in art and as tools of locomotion and exploration.
In conjunction with the show, New York cycling apparel brand Ostroy has designed limited-edition women’s and men’s cycling jerseys which will be exclusively available at the Gallery and specificobject.com. These jerseys can be worn in style as the Gallery hosts group bicycle rides led by Platzker every Wednesday during the run of the show. Departing from the gallery at 10:30 AM, the rides will take cyclists up the bike path of Hudson River Waterfront Greenway to the Little Red Lighthouse at the base of the George Washington Bridge, returning to the Gallery for refreshments. These 20-mile round-trip rides will be slow excursions, perfect for lazy warm summer mornings.
Please RSVP for these rides at info@inglettgallery.com. For more information regarding the rides and weather cancellations, please check Instagram @SusanInglettGallery or specificobject.com/projects/Re-Bicycles.
Additional cycling wear can be purchased at www.ostroy.com.
Re: Bicycling will be on view at the Gallery located at 522 West 24 Street, Tuesday to Saturday, 10 AM to 6 PM. In July, the gallery will institute Summer Hours Monday to Friday, 10 AM to 6 PM. For additional information please contact Susan Inglett Gallery at 212 647 9111 or info@inglettgallery.com.