Art bike inspires councillor, but will he save it from the scrapheap?
An old Raleigh bike sat chained to a post -- alone, unloved and unclaimed -- outside a stretch of Dundas St. W. for years, just another piece of urban clutter.
When Caroline Macfarlane decided to turn the bike into eye-pleasing art, painting it a neon shade of orangey-pink, the city promptly slapped a removal notice on it. Macfarlane, who envisions using abandoned bikes as a city-wide art project, found the notice while returning to put plants in the bike's basket.
Gary Crawford, the city councillor for Ward 36 Scarborough West, was taken with Macfarlane's beautify-it-yourself ethos, saying in a news release: "I was really taken away by the whole idea. There are probably 1000's of unsightly abandoned bicycles in the City. Imagine if we woke up one morning and all these bikes were transformed into wonderful works of creative expression. What these artists have done has brought attention to how a small act of creativity can make the City of Toronto a more beautiful place to live."
He knows of what he speaks. A conservative who usually votes with Mayor Rob Ford, he's also a professional landscape and portrait painter, and part-time drummer in a classic rock band.
After meeting with Macfarlane, Crawford announced he's launching an initiative called "10,000 Ideas for Creative Change in Toronto" and is urging residents to tell him their ideas on his Facebook page, through Twitter or by calling (416) 392-4052.
But is he going to save Macfarlane's art bike from death row? An aide says the councillor is talking to city staff to see what he can do.
Leave it! It adds culture to the neighbourhood.
Posted by: Karyn Climans | 06/03/2011 at 04:57 PM
It is a nice idea, but since it is taking up valuable bike lock space it really should be removed.
Posted by: Craig A | 06/03/2011 at 05:19 PM
When Mel Lastman was Mayor of Toronto . He was the first Mayor to realize there is more of Toronto than tall buildings and the subway. He brought a unique form of art to Toronto. He gave Toronto the "Moose Contest". Where people of imagination turned these huge plastic moulds of Moose into things of beauty and placed them all over the city. The city became known for these pieces of art. People went out of their way to view them. Unfortunately the city never followed through with this unique exhibition . Until now , when an art student at Ontario College of Art and Design UNIVERSITY came up with similar idea. Let the city follow through.
Posted by: arthur | 06/03/2011 at 06:28 PM
hardly a new idea:
http://spacing.ca/pedals/
Posted by: citylimits | 06/03/2011 at 09:02 PM
I walked past this women as she was spray painting the bike and though about the toxic paint going in my mouth as I was breathing. It's not art, it's just someone spray painting a bike pink.
Posted by: skip | 06/04/2011 at 02:43 AM
The first thing councillor Gary Crawford will have to do, is to educate narrow-minded and art ignorant and discouraging buraucrats to lay off. Just like they can't tell the difference between a mural and graffiti. The idea of beautifying the city creatively trumps by far the commercialized offensive artifacts that clutter our streets and boards.
Posted by: Lela | 06/04/2011 at 05:01 AM
As a Conservative, i`m ashamed of the Party for doing what they did in 1989.Just go to the National Art Gallery in Ottawa if you want to see some REAL waste of milllions of dollars.Especially with the long forgotten "Voice of Fire" painting we got sucked into paying millions for.A red stripe of paint in the middle of a blue canvas.That`s it.Literally.There was also a rectangle,smaller in size,but almost as costly,hanging in the same room.What an unimaginable,expensive joke.And THAT is in just one room.Yes,they ALSO have a bike there,standing on it`s front wheel or something like that.Don`t worry,the liberals helped fill the place with junk too,but that one stripe of million dollar paint.Whoo boy !
Posted by: skyhawk20002 | 06/04/2011 at 09:36 AM
This is a piece of trash no matter how you look at it. Come on Toronto, clean up the streets and stop reaching for some type of savior. Clean up this unsightly stuff and try and return Toronto to a World Class City. This will not do it. Wake up Toronto already.
Posted by: Ron | 06/04/2011 at 10:29 AM
The removal order order almost certainly resulted from a complaint. And let's face it, this particular (ahem) work of art is not everyone's cup of tea. Besides, how is this different than any of the other graffiti the city is trying to stamp out?
Posted by: David Kendall | 06/04/2011 at 10:29 AM
On Wednesdays after 6 pm the AGO is free. Two Wednesdays ago I got there early and needed to kill some time so I walked east down Dundas. This women was spray painting the bike. AlI I could think about was the toxic fumes I was breathing in from the spayed paint. This is not art, it's just a bike spray painted pink.
Posted by: Skip Trippie | 06/04/2011 at 11:00 AM
If it's "taking up valuable bike lock space" then it should have been removed YEARS ago. The city, as usual, only woke up to this abandoned bike when it was made much more visible. Any claims otherwise are absolute garbage. Leave the bike. It is not a threat to municipal security. And if that councillor wants ideas for creative change, he can start by telling brain-dead city staff not to paint over murals that any idiot can see are MURALS not graffitti.
Posted by: Sara | 06/04/2011 at 11:21 AM
I am both an artist and a cyclist. I'm all for urban art.
My only criticism is that as a cyclist it's using up some prime real estate on a bike post. Remove it from the bike post and install it someone else- or let the city remove it.
We need places to lock our bikes.
Posted by: Sarah | 06/04/2011 at 11:38 AM
Along Lakeshore in Mississauga there are many bikes that have been painted and filled with lovely flowers and plants. It looks great and I agree a good use for old unwanted bikes. Even have some that have an adult and a little childs bike together.
Posted by: Kristi Rhodes | 06/04/2011 at 11:42 AM
It would be completely different if the bike had been stripped and only portions of it remained. However, it is a whole design construct and has been wonderfully transformed into something lyrical and pleasing. If there is concern with it taking up "valuable" bike locking space (remember, it's already been there for upwards of four years) then let the city do it's part by simply installing a new bike lockup next to it.
Posted by: Vinnie M Cee | 06/04/2011 at 12:22 PM
My wife just past away last year after a brave fight for 16 months with Breast Cancer. I would like to donate my wife Barbara’s bike to Caroline, and she can spruce it up in beautifull pink in memories of all those brave “Cancer Warriors”in Toronto.
Look at our website http://www.handsonent.com under Fantasy Airbrush “Cancer Warriors:” page and then you can see what she did for the Cancer fundraising events. You are welcome to contact me by phone as well 905-7998292
This could be great for the Carolines art, the city and great for the Cancer fight.Please try and get this message to Caroline.
Thank you
Posted by: Tony Wolfaardt | 06/17/2011 at 11:26 AM
What about the people who could use these bikes?? Maybe this is a 'beautification' of the city, but these bikes can be repaired and give to underprivileged people to help them travel around the city.
Posted by: Drew | 06/22/2011 at 09:32 AM