Steve the Great

I’ve been thinking about art and creativity.  I was watching Sunday Morning on CBS a couple of weeks ago and they did a piece on the comedian Steve Martin.

I was so struck by his amazing artistic talent.  He’s won an Emmy,  multiple Grammys for his comedy albums and one for his recently released banjo album,  the Best Bluegrass Album of 2010, a Mark Twain recipient, Kennedy Center Honoree, multiple movies, plays, short stories, screenplays, three novels…phew!  Additionally, he is an art aficionado to the point of collecting and holds a deep knowledge of art. He is a trustee of the Los Angeles Museum of Art, and collects the art of Georgia O’Keeffe, Richard Diebenkorn, Willem de Kooning, Franz Kline, Cy Twombly, Helen Frankenthaler, Edward Hopper, David Hockney, Roy Lichtenstein, and Pablo Picasso.   His latest novel, An Object of Beauty, is about the art world.

Whether you like his work or not, what is rather breath-taking is the openness with which he allows himself to express his art – written, spoken, preformed or musical – he truly allows plenty of room for creating.  If you look him up on the internet you will be astonished at his productivity.  Granted, it’s his JOB, but I appreciate that he doesn’t hem himself in and say, “I can’t paint because I’m a comedian.” Or “I’m a musician so I couldn’t be funny…”

If all of us would allow ourselves the same space to be, create, see or do what we have within us, we would all be much richer.

 

 

Art and Design are Everywhere

 

While I now own a remodeling company, my background is in art but, I think my real love is design.  How a thing goes together and whether it works aesthetically is really important to me.  It bugs me when it doesn’t work and it inspires awe (AHHH…!!!) when it does.  Look around and you will find examples of both.  One of my favorite places for great design is in the bicycle (cycling) industry.

As a cyclist, I get to see amazing bikes on a regular basis.  Here are some of my faves for this year.

 

 

It's called the "speedconcept". It looks fast!

This is a triathlon bike which means it has to be streamlined and fast. The shape of the tubes are elliptical which flattens them and makes the bike faster. Aesthetically the ellipse is beautiful.

 

The cycling industry is tasked every year with creating design that not only works really well physically but looks fantastic.

 

The Hooligan - Who do you know that needs to be riding this bike?

This is called an “urban” bike because its ridden primarily by people who live in cities, who like to ride in places they aren’t supposed to and who are self -proclaimed rebels.  Notice the lines of the bike and how low the frame is compared to where the seat sits.  Eye catching

 

 

Cruising in style

All I can say to this is, “Sweet!”  Whether you have a beach to cruise to or not, this bike’s design says the living is easy.

 

 

 

High contrast at its best!

 

 

Called the Amira, this is top of the line for serious riders.  Check out the multiple designs and how it leads the eye around the bike.  I can’t take my eyes off of it!

 

Of course, I’m a little biased because I ride bikes but it’s just one example of where art and design can be found.  Next time your are out, look around and see the art and design that surrounds you.  And please, if you’re driving, take care around people on bikes!

 

Thank you to: http://www.Trekbikes.com and http://www.Specialized.com