Easy Rider
In 1969 the iconic counterculture movie called Easy Rider featured Peter Fonda and Dennis Hopper as motorcycle riding hippies who traveled across the United States in search of spiritual truth.
Motorcycles started as motorized bicycles in the late 1800s and early 1900s and have continuously evolved, reflecting various lifestyles even to this day. For this painting, Lynn reached into multiple inspirations: the EZ Rider Captain America bike and its lifestyle; the Harley Davidson motorcycle culture; and the Schwinn Sting Ray bicycles that many boomers grew up with. Many nuanced pieces from each culture are noted in this painting. Note the playing card that many of us placed with a clothes pin on our spokes for that almost authentic motorcycle sound.
A part of the painting was inspired by a neighboring Plain family’s four-year-old daughter who regularly carried her favorite pet chicken under her arm. The paintings one-legged rooster represents Dennis Hopper.
Imagine what it might look like if Plain people were influenced by the same cultural icons as baby boomers. Certainly, this is not a likely combination, however, that is the fun and the whimsey of imagination.