Danny Lyon: The Bikeriders
Fred and Laura Ruth Bidwell Gallery
January 26, 2013 - July 21, 2013
"Perhaps the most famous of Mr. Lyon’s images shows a phalanx of bikers seen from the rear. But the most expressive may be “Crossing the Ohio,” in which a single biker on a bridge looks over his shoulder, appearing to wonder who is behind him."
-Phil Patton, New York Times
This exhibition presents a dramatic inside look at 1960s biker counterculture. From 1963 – 1967 Danny Lyon not only captured the bikers in photographs, but immersed himself in the lifestyle. Lyon joined the Chicago Outlaw Motorcycle Club, making him a pioneer of the new form of photojournalism where the artist was personally involved with the subject. This series was featured in Lyon’s defining first photography book and became one of the most important and influential documentary series of the late 20th century. This exhibition is drawn exclusively from the museum’s extensive holdings of Lyon’s work.
This exhibition is organized by the Akron Art Museum and made possible by a gift from the Robert Mapplethorpe Foundation.