Endless Cycles is an expression of the repetitive, cyclical nature of reality. We’re all caught up in these repetitive patterns and cycling is a beautiful microcosm of that – continual turning… Cycles of life, death, and rebirth.
Drawing has been an almost daily practice for most of my life. It’s equal parts hobby, profession, obsession and coping mechanism. I’m not sure what I’d be doing otherwise, but I’m certain I’d be enjoying it less… Maybe enjoying isn’t the right word, but my life wouldn’t have as much meaning without making art. It’s become a bit of a religion for me.
Cycling is much the same except for the profession part. I didn’t really start thinking about design ’till I got into the print business almost 20 years ago. The two became major features of my life, mostly driven by being broke and needing a job, preferably one that I didn’t hate.
I started riding as a kid, my first bike was a navy blue beach cruiser. I’ve always been somewhat mechanically inclined and there’s a simple beauty to bikes that really attracted me. It was no surprise that when I learned about brakeless fixed gear riding watching films like Macaframa that I became hooked.
Some of my earliest artistic influences were the funny pages from the newspaper: Calvin & Hobbes, Garfield, Dilbert, the Far Side, etc… Also animations like the Simpsons, Tom and Jerry, Ren & Stimpy, Courage the Cowardly Dog. Later on I studied ‘real art’ – classical drawing, fine art – but I’ve never really been able to escape those early ‘lowbrow’ influences. Not to talk down on cartoons, because I honestly believe they’re one of the highest forms of human expression. It’s usually only non-artists who crave some kind of inspirational bullsh*t ‘national’ public art.
Real artists are mostly interested in just documenting some kind of internal state or feeling… Anything that deviates from that is mostly about trying to make money. There’s always a bit of dissonance with creating for cash, but, what can you do?
I dabble in political messages, but honestly I’ve decided to turn away from anything too explicit. My main goal with the brand is to simply promote cycling in all its forms. That’s my current level of “activism” with this project – not to get too preachy or anything but I think in terms of pollution/environmental concerns, in terms of physical health, in terms of mental health, infrastructure etc… the world (or at least the USA) would probably be a better place if more people spent more time riding a bike. That’s enough of a battle, I’m not trying to bite off more than I can chew.
So yeah, the cartoons are just a way of making that look cute and palatable.
(Ironically as the brand/project grows I’m personally spending less and less time riding – still trying to figure that one out.)
It’s easy to make random drawings of whatever I happen to be thinking about that particular day, but creating becomes a bit shallow and self-referential without a broader message. Endless Cycles became the broader message that helped focus my creative endeavours.
There’s never true balance; the teeter is back and forth. Absolute equilibrium is death, but death is just a concept. We all end up stopping at some point, becoming a feast for another creature, even if it’s just worms. But what I’m getting at is that it’s just another part of the cycle continuing.
I tend to be a bit of a lone wolf. Community has always inspired me but I think I’ll permanently feel like an outsider looking in. That’s the artist’s way, at least for me. I might go on a little group ride or check out a bike race, but for the most part creating is my main squeeze. Everything else comes after that, so I barely have time for much else. It’s funny because films and, moreso, the internet, mimic the feeling of being a part of something when you’re really just absorbing content. It’s a false community of sorts, like watching a podcast – makes you feel social but it’s actually a bit isolating. (Sounds depressing but it’s true!)
All I can really hope for is that my work brings some joy to people’s lives and inspires them to get out there and ride!
-Endless Cycles for Dead Relatives.
