Of Man And Machine
Of Man and Machine
Portraying the legends of racing
SHADES OF GREEN AND GRAY ENVELOPE A STREAKING figure in red and white. Hurtling toward an unseen finish line, the 1980 350cc World Roadracing Champion seems crisply clear. Look closer, however. Jon Ekerold is actually on the verge of being swallowed by his surroundings. Such is the stuff of which Clubman magazine’s “Sketch in Neutral” is made.
A 10-year mainstay of the Japanese publication, the watercolor prints are rendered by Kazuhiro Ikeda. Known as “Bow,” the 50-year-old artist is considered Japan’s leading motorsports illustrator.
Ikeda’s reasons for sketching motorcycles? Says the artist, “To me, motorcycles represent the purist combination of man and machine acting together as one body.” Ikeda also has a deep respect for bikes’ mechanical aspects. “I love the simplicity of motorcycles,” he explains. “In a way, they are like the steam locomotive. Their function is simple, not overly technical...motorcycles and locomotives, I believe, are symbols of the 19th and 20th centuries. I wonder if either will be around in the next century, though.” Ikeda first demonstrated an interest in painting when he was a small child, inspired by “a drawing I saw of a 1949 Ford when I was 3 years old.” This was also when he acquired his seemingly American nickname, which is actually derived from a Japanese term of endearment. “When I was young, people used to refer to me as BokuChan, which loosely means ‘my little boy’ in Japanese,” Ikeda explains. “That nickname gradually became simply Bow and I have been using that name ever since.”
Ikeda first drew motorcycle racers in the early 1980s. His goal was to artistically document racing history. “The kind of motorcycle illustrations I enjoy doing most are those that depict images of vintage racing,” he says, “but I have drawn all sorts of modern GP racers, beginning with Freddie Spencer. All together, I have painted about 80 different racers.”
Perhaps this passion is a result of Ikeda’s own racing experiences. He spent some time on the racetrack as an amateur astride his Norton Commando, as well as on a Triton and a BSA Victor. “I love the speed motorcycles represent, and occasionally I still ride with my racing friends,” he says.
In addition to painting motorsports works, Ikeda also draws a variety of other subjects, including landscapes and still art. He has accumulated an avid following and exhibits his work regularly. None of the original artwork is for sale, though Ikeda is preparing to make prints available.
Despite his occasional artistic departures from motorsports illustration, the medium in which Ikeda works remains constant. “All of my work is done in watercolors,” he says. “To me, watercolors represent the simplest form and method of painting; also, in Japan, watercolor painting is the traditional way of painting.”
For admirers of Clubman ’s “Sketch in Neutral,” Ikeda’s choice of medium is ideal. His work requires almost imperceptible gradations among a myriad of shades, which only watercolors can provide. Ikeda’s portraits appear strong yet somehow muted-but certainly not what you would describe as “neutral.” Then again, perhaps that’s the point.
-Wendy F. Black
