Let us remember the words sung by Arlo Guthrie: "I don't want a pickle, I just want to ride my motorsickle. And I don't want to die, I just want to ridy my motorcy." These words are like some prayer to be offered daily for the millions of boys and girls, mean and women, who embrace the freedoms and risks of motorcycle operation--the two-wheeled slab reality.
Now there are many people on this planet who will never ride. And considering the number of crazy, inept and unconscious four-wheelers on the move, who can blame them? Those of us who ride, however, well...are we not truly brothers and sisters of the chrome horse? Only we know that riding a motorcycle is a pure, complete and exstatic assault on the senses. On bikes we see, hear, smell, feel and, if we choose, taste everything as we cruise. All of our limbs must be involved in the operation and control of the machine. Personally, my favorite motorcycling sensation is the sound of large insects bouncing off my helmet--sweet and final bug death: THOK-THOK-THOK.
Motorcycles are a great concept in modern transportation, except for mopeds. I eat mopeds. I sprinkle mopeds on my Raisin Bran. I love my bike. It's a dead stock 1971 Harley-Davidson Electra-Glide pussy-start Police Special. Seven hundred pounds of semi-dressed Milwaukee iron.
Harley riders often experience a feeling of superiority over other riders and their machines. As a Hog rider I admit that I feel superior when I ride, even though I know it's bullshit. Sure, I can tear my shovel-head engine down in an hour, but don't ask me to put it together again. And my friends, who are Motocross freaks, with their spare little machines, are eminently more skilled motorcyclists than I'll ever be on my big Hog.
Other makes of machines are more efficient in terms of fuel and maintenance than the Harley-Davidson. Witness--ten years ago the Harley 74 was a dependable steed of police forces all over North America. Now we find police departments everywhere relinquishing the Harley as a daily duty machine in favor of Motoguzzis and "rice burners" (Japanese bikes).
Great credit is due to the smooth-shifting, shaft-drive touring bikes on the market. Still the H-D will always have its unique appeal to people like me who will never ride or love any other make of machine. These big European bikes and all rice burners, they "snick" or "click" into gear...no gearbox bangs it in there like a Harley's.
So, as a Hog rider, I might have sneaked the odd passing glance at venerable old British hardware like a Royal Enfield or a Brough Superior, but I never looked twice at Hondas, Kawasakis and BMWs until I saw these paintings by Tom Blackwell. He is the man who painted all the color pictures accompanying this article. He showed me these machines from his perspective--that is, these bikes are magnificent colorful chrome entities and wonderful inspirations for a painter.
Tom Blackwell is a superb photorealist. Many artists, art critics and patrons hate photorealism. Fuck them. These motorcycles of Blackwell's are beautiful. Photorealism is a graphic medium requiring incredible technical skill. The replications of these machines on canvas are not only faultless in color and texture, and unfailing in detail, they are full of feeling and life. Blackwell's work "Jaffrey"--the big black-and-red Kawasaki in front of the hardware store--is complete, as and "KOW" owner will vouch, from the individually-colored panel lights under the speedo and tach to the set of elastic tie-downs on the rear carrier rack.
The Triumph Trumpet chopper with the rectangular headlights and custom chrome highway pegs is a beautiful painting of a beautiful machine. But Blackwell's rendering is so perfect if gives more than just an impression of the bike's owner. Blackwell mixes his paints skillfully; it's obvious that the guy who owned this bike customized it at home, himself. Proudly he invested his time in the whole process and then he covered the seat with really cheap vinyle leatherette.
Blackwell did a painting of a new Honda Gold Wing 1000. The vivid yellow paint he used in this work looks just like a factory mix from Honda. He has also painted Harleys. Now, I don't know, maybe only I can appreciate a man who is able to do a spiritually satisfying painting of a hunk of spun aluminum like the primary case cover in his Harley XLCH.
Blackwell loves these motorcycles, but dig this...he doesn't ride. Here again we can't chastise him; two have the machines he painted have seen been totalled.
Anyway, I don't know much about art, but I know what I like. I like my Hog and these bikes by Tom Blackwell.