The Bicycle in Art: A Universal Symbol of Progress

The Bicycle as a symbol of progress, of renewal, of promising times ahead -- this is not a new concept. Indeed it has been around since the invention of the bicycle. Many bicycle posters at end of the 19th century featured promising themes like liberation, progress, freedom.

When people in most cultures see art or photgraphy, our brain sees movement from left to right and interprets the piece based on that. In the vintage poster, the youthful girl in pure white is tossing flowers about her as she rides from left to right. She is heading towards the future, moving away from us. Perhaps even spreading flowers to encourage us to follow her. The old, frail woman sitting amongst thorns has her back firmly to the future, head in her hand and almost resigned to the fact that she won't - or can't - be a part of the glowing future.

[This] is the party flag for the Samajwadi political party in India. Their rising star, Akhilesh Yadav, recently won a landslide election in the Uttar Pradesh state elections. Yadav campaigned tirelessly and he rode hundreds of kilometres around the state on his bicycle and organised bicycle rides. Reuters has an article about his rise to power. He thrashed the heir-apparent in Indian politics, Rahul Ghandi of THE Ghandis by appealing to the working classes, sleeping in villagers huts and aligning himself with the demands of the regular citizens. And the man can even text and cycle at the same time. He's got our vote.