Sure, landing a 10-foot gap jump on your mountain bike is an art form but this is actually about art inspired by mountain biking. We’ve seen a number of examples of mountain bike art over the years and thought this would be a good place to share.
Mountain bike pottery
Mudhunny and I actually received this wall hanging as a wedding gift from a mountain biking friend and it’s a unique piece of art to say the least. The center imprint shows a rider on his bike and the edges of the piece are imprinted with mountain bike tire tread. Beyond that I’m not sure of the mountain biking significance (maybe the clay is from a local trail?) but I suspect this artist, Mud Dabber Pottery, is based in the clay rich area of North Carolina near the soon-to-be IMBA Ride Center in Uwharrie National Forest. How’s that for owning the trail?
Mountain bike paintings
A few mountain bikers know their way around a paint brush and Jason Groves is one of those riders. I’m a big fan of his acrylic on wood paintings of mountain bikers in action – it’s amazing how he’s able to mimic speed and motion in the riders’ downhill poses through color. Check out Jason’s gallery on MySpace to find out how you can own one of these original MTB paintings.
Functional mountain bike art
This year we included a clothes hanger made out of bike wheel parts in our holiday gift guide and it’s a perfect example of using recycled bike parts to create works of art. The artist who created the wheel hanger also showcased a beanbag made out of bike tires sewn together and I gotta say the thing was super comfy. Recently we even noticed a mirror framed with an old MTB wheel & tire at an Ellijay bike shop, though sadly we didn’t snap a pic. I’ve also seen riders mount old bike frames with artsy paint jobs to the wall – definitely a cool effect if you have the space.
If you’re stuck indoors at some point this winter and are feeling artsy, why not create your own mountain bike art? When you do, send us a pic and we’ll post it on singletracks!
