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ben@inspired

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  • 2 weeks later...

I like the sentiment of the article but if the rider doesn't deem it to be art then it's not art. Of course I'm a huge fan of this style of riding (Inspired and the riders who ride in this way are the only things that keep me interested in it) but quite a few riders have been asked about their views towards their riding being considered art. I've never heard of one to say 'yes, I consider my riding art', which unfortunately therefore stops it from becoming art.

It's definitely a more creative way of looking at obstacles, typical street setups and what not but it's more of an approach (sometimes lifestyle) then art. What I think is a fair definition is that it's a style.

I know Danny has been asked about his views of his riding being art and he flatly said no. He rode a demo in Edinburgh over the festival period for a street arts performance where the organisers explained his riding as being 'expressive arts' then went to interview him and he said "I don't consider my riding art" which seemed a bit of an odd juxtaposition. The only thing that makes art, art is if the artist deems it as such.

I'm sure that comes across as a miserable old statement but it's not meant that way - I genuinely love the riding of the likes of Sean W and he's only done good things in opening peoples minds a bit to what is possible so it seems a good thing to promote. I guess the closest this style of riding comes to art is the fact that is divides opinion and encourages (often stupid) debate. The one thing it has got on art though is that most won't watch the likes of Danny, Sean etc and say "I could do that".

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The point wasn't that certain people's riding is art, more that it's like art; it's about expression and creativity and challenges the way we perceive our surroundings and our sport. The following definition of art as "the expression or application of human creative skill and imagination, typically in visual form" kind of goes against the point you're making as well, but I do see the point that you're making I do, in part, agree.

I don't necessarily agree that if the creator of something doesn't consider it art then it isn't, though. What about the audience, beholder, viewer, whatever, and their view or interpretation of what they are seeing? If they consider it to be art, whether or not the rider, painter, sculptor does, surely then it is art to them?

Edited by Ben Swales
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It's a subjective one I guess which makes it interesting. I don't really go with the viewer being able to decide something is art if the creator hasn't intended it so (on the whole) but I can see the point you're making and can see for many people that that's their chosen view also so it's not really like one is right and one is wrong.

Again without being overly poncey you could argue that you can't actually define art by a single sentence so I guess that's where mutual understanding and appreciation of others interpretation comes in.

My point is I really do love this style of riding and it can be a way of expressin yourself (however I maintain most riders don't see their riding as that) but I can't put it the same plane as art.

The feeling I got when waiting for way back home to go live and then finally watching it is different to going and sitting to look at one of my favourite Dali pieces for example. Both make me happy but I view them entirely differently. Biking to me isnt simply a sport but genuinely a lifestyle and can affect your way of thinking and so on which isn't dissimilar to how an artist might live I just see them differently. I think it's nice when they overlap (often in the making of really good videos etc) but this is rarely the case.

I suppose to finish off its like when Marcel Duchamp released his 'Fontain' piece which was just a French urinal on its sites and autographed. He was a respected artist and everyone thought it was an outrage and terrible. He was asked 'what makes that art' and he replied 'because I say it is so'. If a viewer looked at a urinal and saw something in it bit didn't create or contribute anything would that then make the toilet art?

f**king ell it's getting like art foundation again in here. Anyway I think it's cool inspired riders are upsetting the order by trying new things, art or not as god knows we couldn't have only gone on with Lycra tight wearing street riders! :)

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