A few of us have seen this before, a photo appears in our in-box sans description or context. We know nothing of the rider, or the ride. We have a bike in its naked, unadorned beauty and strength. I like those photos because I think bikes of all types are neat and I definitely geek out on them (a bit).
But if those photos told 1000 word stories, the photo I received from Hollywood this morning is Homeric-quality epic. What can we make of this photo? 
What do and don't we see here? These are questions that art historians have made their careers on. And dare I say it, when I saw this photo, I couldn't but think that this photo conjures up a set of questions to rival the mysteries that surround perhaps the world's most complexly rendered and masterful portraits, Diego Valesquez's Las Meninas:
I'll let you study up on how Valasquez's portrait confuses the relationship between the viewer and the figures- after all, we need to leave something for art historians to do. But what of this photo. Sure, I see 2010 Gary Fisher Superfly too. But who could it belong to? What rider is simultaneously so rad as to be require a carbon dual supension 29er and so fredtastic to palp wheel reflectors. Gosh, there might be a pie-plate on that bike, to go along with its top-of-the-line SRAM XX kit.
And what of the shadowy figures who appear in the photos. They are literally shadows on the wall. Who do they belong to? One must belong to Hollywood. But which? Does Hollywood have an Entourage? Who's taking the photo? Where did they think it would be posted? Who's it for? And how come Hollywood hasn't told us about his new Ducati?
Why stand on a silent platform?
3 days ago
7 comments:
The color of the light appears to be full natural sunlight, yet the angle implies it was taken at sunrise or sunset.
That's logically impossible, as at sunrise or sunset, the light would be oranged by the atmosphere.
I can only conclude that someone built a complicated mock-up of a bike shop exterior and tilted it on its side, and this picture was actually taken at noon, with a photographer and bystander suspended by wires over the scene.
that s4rs is the motorized equivalent of the sf100 ... badass bikes.
I love that painting, and your reading of BB's photo.
i think incorporation of the painter/photographer into the frame is actually a visual reference to blogging, which would mean that the vastness of the canvass/the enormity of a full-suspension 29er represents discourse through the internet age.
also, i think the little princess represents Ali.
"Princess" was actually an earlier nickname for "Hollywood."
Hollywood was Princess for a good while before he became Hollywood. Maybe a merger of the titles is more appropriate? Princess Hollywood or Hollywood Princess? Let the people decide.
Hollywood was Princess for a good while before he became Hollywood. Maybe a merger of the titles is more appropriate? Princess Hollywood or Hollywood Princess? Let the people decide.
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