RED HOOK CRIT
It’s fast, furious, frantic, and beautiful. 2018 marks the third year that Specialized took the crit-hungry Allez Sprint, Evade Helmet and S-Works 7 Shoes, and invited artists to apply their style to the Allez and the Red Hook Crit, in this case, Michael Reeder. This is what happens when art and bike, and a very special race collide. Over the coming months, watch as Team Specialized-Rocket Espresso race these moving canvases.
Another Crit in the Wall
Michael Reeder paints murals. He paints on canvas too, but he’s most recognised for his large-scale wall pieces - hollow-eyed portraits that stare right into your soul as if to say: “Who the hell are you?” It’s a theme that plays out both in Reeder’s art and perhaps the Red Hook Crit itself.
The concept of identity is explored in much of Reeder’s work, and questioning identity is something anyone who’s ever raced a crit can relate to. In the heat of battle, screaming into a corner at full speed with no brakes, you’d be forgiven for finding yourself in a moment of quiet contemplation. “Who am I? A hero? A soloist? A fool? All of the above?” In that moment, only you can find your answer.
With a fresh frame for a canvas and the artist’s agenda which, by design, no one knows, Specialized present Reeder’s take on the collision between high-speed race machine and high-concept art piece. It’s fresh and "whoa, deep" on the interpretation scale, but above all, it's an absolutely stunning interpretation of the art-bike challenge.
Who is Michael Reeder?
Known for his street art and murals, Michael Reeder creates an array of surreal and colorful images through his portraiture that explore ego, identity, and self. These works are bold and vivid, yet filled with mystery and ambiguity—both known and unknown. What is known is this: he was born in Texas in 1982, graduated with a BFA in painting from the School of Visual Arts in NYC, and works from his studio in Los Angeles, California.