In 1975 BMW commissioned the great American artist Alexander Calder to create a piece of art from one of its race cars. The Calder 3.0 CSL became the first BMW Art Car in a now priceless collection to include modern art history’s most distinguished alumni. Frank Stella, Roy Lichtenstein, Andy Warhol, Robert Rauschenberg, David Hockney, Olafur Eliasson, Jeff Koons and last year John Baldessari and rising Chinese digital artist Cao Fei, are just some of the names associated with this brilliant initiative.
Fast-forward to the present day and Calder’s groundbreaking BMW 3.0 CSL Art Car has informed a very different type of vehicle. The limited-edition EBC ‘93, by the Californian-based Electra Bicycle Company, took inspiration directly from Calder’s car and his play with color, form and the illusion of motion for a race-ready cruiser that prefers a slow roll. Each of these men’s Attitude Cruisers are individual – the modified frames and personalized components give each bike a style of its own. I caught up with the creative director Robin Vallaire to find out more.
Nargess Banks: What attracted you to Alexander Calder’s BMW Art Car?
Robin Vallaire: The color, the boldness and the simplicity – we love Calder’s approach to using bold color blocking for the individual elements of the car to add the illusion of movement. We also love the idea that this is the very first Art Car – the one that started it all. If you put the 1975 Alexander Calder next to the 2010 Jeff Koons, you can see an evolution of shape, color, form and function. They are all amazingly beautiful, yet so different.
NB: Why choose the EBC ‘93 as the basis for this Calder-inspired limited-edition bike?
RV: We wanted to make a limited-edition anniversary bike to celebrate our 25th year and number 93 on the Calder car was a clear sign to work with this model. We wanted the EBC ’93 to translate well to its true inspiration – something we do with all our limited-edition products. The idea is for it to seem like a vintage race car, to feel fast, have the boldness in color and crisp, clean lines. Our goal here is to make the complexity of our designs look effortless.
NB: The EBC ‘93 design is clearly informed by Calder’s incredibly pure use of color. Can you highlight how you distilled this to be appropriate for a bike?
RV: One of the things that Electra is known for is color. When colors come together properly, they sing. We knew we were looking for bold contrasting colors and the pop of the red against the clean white worked so well together. We wanted to compliment the orange tone in the red so we used an aqua blue instead of the more primary blue in the Art Car – also highlighted on the rims of the bike.
NB: Calder was concerned with composing movement and his mobiles, the art medium he invented, reflect this philosophy. This racer bike is designed to move slowly so in a sense you are also composing visual movement. Can you explain the process?
RV: The EBC ’93 uses a hydroformed frame, so we were looking for a design that would work the shape and curves of the frame. We started researching vintage race cars and motorcycles and although the shape of the tank and the bike frame lent itself to motorcycle design inspiration, we kept coming back to the Calder Art Car. We then started to draw the bike and took it to the computer. Our two-dimensional line art is to scale, so we then took the artwork to the bike and start shaping the lines to create a two-tone paint job
NB: Cycling has arguably never been so fashionable – especially in urban settings – and there are so many exciting two-wheelers whizzing about. How do you stand out?
RV: Electra started with the idea that we could make bikes better than what was out there. For 25 years, we have been known for quality, artistry and attention to details and we offer bikes to take you from beach to city and everywhere in between. For us, cycling doesn’t need to be overly complicated; it should be fun, comfortable and why not look good? Any bike can transport you, but we make ours to be an extension of the person that rides them. That is why we consider ourselves a lifestyle brand, not just a bike company.
NB: Does automotive design inform your work?
RV: Yes, definitely. We also take inspiration from the world around us from art, fashion, design, music, culture and global influences. Electra has a rich history steeped in custom cars, motorcycles and hot rodding. We have been transforming cruiser bikes into rolling works of art to cruise in style for years.
NB: What other artists have inspired you with past limited-edition collections?
RV: We have paid tribute to the cartoonist and pinstriper Ed “Big Daddy” Roth. He created the hot rod iconic Rat Fink character with a hydroform stretch frame bike complete with a metallic green flake paint job, ape hanger handlebars, a triple-crown fork and dice valve caps. We also did a bike named Zarape that was inspired by a Salt Flats racing car. It had a beautiful matte metallic petrol color, bright orange rims, custom pinstriping and an emblem we created for the tank of the bike.
NB: How do you see your future?
RV: Our goal is to get more people on bikes. Whether it is cruising around in style, running errands or charging up hills with ease on an e-bike – we want people to enjoy the ride.
Read about the ultimate SWIND EB-01 hyperbike by UK firm Swindon Powertrain.
