A handful of lucky Portlanders were treated to quite a show on Friday night at the closing reception of The 2012 Bicycle Experience: Prototypes, Visions & Dreams.
In his first installation/show, Johnnie Olivan impressed everyone with his sculptures and other creations (there were also some excellent paintings by other artists). From the mini-bike ‘Teeter-Totter’ to the many-armed ‘Bicycle Ninja,’ the pieces all came together in very convincing way. We were also treated to a performance by the Sprockettes. More images from the event below…
The ‘Teeter Totter’: “This vision celebrates the simplicity of mechanics and the inner child”…
This show is a new direction for Johnnie O (pictured below), and I hope it’s one he continues to follow…
The ‘Bicycle Ninja’ “honors those that have saved a bicycle from becoming a thief’s dream machine.” (This piece is a collaboration with Phantom Limb artist Yourself)…
We packed in for a look at the Sprockettes…
There are several new faces in the troupe (at least new to me)…
This piece, ‘Bicycle Bomb,’ came to Olivan in a dream…
There were two bikes like this, floating from the ceiling by balloons.
Olivan had several interactive pieces. In this photo, he’s launching a balloon filled with paint at a pile of bikes (see next photo)…
Splat!…
In case you missed it, the show runs through tomorrow (1/31) at the Gallery at Port City Development on the corner of N. Thompson and Williams (2156 N. Williams Ave). You can also join Olivan at Port City tomorrow night from 7:00 to 9:00 pm for, Learn my Art: Bike Dome where he’ll lead a collaborative sculpture-making project. Bring an old bike frame if you have one!
Thanks for reading.
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Amazing fun, Thanks for coming out! Don’t forget to check out Project Grow, they do so much rad stuff for the community! Will definitely be putting together more events and involving many more artists. Please contact me if you would like to collaborate or if you know any venues looking for installations.
So awesome!
Great job JohnnieO !
Fabulous night, I wish it had been the “opening night” instead of “closing night” so folks would have a couple weeks to schedule a visit.
The teeter totter rocked.
& Treats by Eatin Alive were fabulous.
Thanks much to Johnnie for the art, Port City for the space, and Jonathan for the coverage.
Ted Buehler