Comments on: ReadyMade Magazine’s Homage to the WPA

By: the village scribe

the village scribe — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 13:54:56 +0000

Absolutely. The poster is brilliant. And you’re right; it is about more than just “look at me because I’m innately deserved of your recognition.” On the topic of bikes and sustainability, check out the bicycle-inspired furniture on Urban Velo: http://urbanvelo.org/bike-furniture-design/. Seems like the sort of thing that would be right up your proverbial alley.

By: Shane Waggoner

Shane Waggoner — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 13:36:57 +0000

That’s kind of interesting. You’re making the point that the headlamp is less about seeing than being seen, and that there is something like a politics of recognition involved with it, a demand or call that is issued (in the context of an automobile-based economy and society) for the cyclist to be recognized. This is the call that is issued when we ask that cities create bike lanes and become bike friendly. At some level it isn’t just a call to be recognized individually, for safety reasons, etc., but also recognition of the value and viability of cycling as a more sustainable and healthy alternative to the car. In any case, I thought Dewar’s poster did a nice job of deliberately but subtly incorporating those cues, like the headlamp, in a way that allows the poster to ’say’ something without forcing the aesthetics of it to bend the knee too much to the message.

By: the village scribe

the village scribe — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 02:18:42 +0000

Your decision to comment on the headlamp in particular is interesting. For a while, these sorts of items were standard equipment. If they were there to allow folks to ride later into the evening, I don’t know. But now, while some headlamps are marketed to mountain bikers interested in night rides, the majority are pitched to commuters (together with taillights and reflective clothing) to ensure they are as visible as possible to motorized traffic. I’m reminded of “Critical Mass,” which is a movement (of sorts) to promote the message the bikes ARE traffic (versus something in traffic for motorists to watch out for the way one might steer clear of potholes lest they be slowed against their will). It’s a wake-up call to those insufficiently aware of those around them. The headlamp is not a means to see but a demand to be seen. Hence, in the image of the headlamp there is a symbol of bikes as advancement, bikes as survival, and bikes as resistance. (Indeed, actual mechanical resistance leading to the production of light and movement.)