Jonathan LeVine Projects is pleased to present Trikology, a solo exhibition by artist Bradley Ehrsam.
For two decades, Bradley Ehrsam has been transforming tricycles into sculptures with reclaimed objects, motorcycle parts, blown glass, and wood. Growing up in the town where Harley Davidson was founded, he was surrounded by old school motorcycle culture and friends who worked at the local factories. As Harley Davidson was a part of his childhood, he has taken that inspiration to combine the memories of engines and parts with a cherished childhood object. An object that a child would pretend was a motorcycle, plane, truck or rocketship. His body of work symbolizes the creativity of a child, the aspirations of an adult and a vehicle to fuel one’s own imagination.
“The tricycles are a soulful and playful way to express thoughts and feelings about what I see happening in the world around me and my own personal life. I really enjoy and am inspired when people come up and tell me how a certain trike reminds them of a great memory or something they aspire to have in their life- first car, plowing a field, sitting on the tailgate of a pickup truck, a motorcycle they once owned, being a race car driver, first date…”
With vivid chrome, vibrant colors, and the precision of the handblown glass, Bradley creates sculptures that emulate joy and playfulness. Each sculpture can be viewed in many different ways, such as positioned on the floor alone or as a table, on a custom stand to give it the feeling of flight, extended from a wall or even suspended from a ceiling. Bradley deconstructs tricycles, using them as a blank canvas to re-tell the stories of his adventurous past, to connect to the present and to inspire visions for the future.