Taking LANCE ARMSTRONG’s coveted TREK art bikes to the streets today was Parisian couture culture spot COLETTE, where a trio of Tex’s 2009 race bikes customized by KENNY SCHARF (Giro d’Italia), KAWS (the Milan-Sanremo “Widowmaker” collarbone breaker), and SHEPARD FAIREY (Giro d’Italia) went on display in the shop’s front window. Set up to draw heat in advance of their debut at Lance’s Supertouch-curated art show “STAGES,” which opens this Thursday, July 16th at GALERIE EMMANUEL PERROTIN, the go-fast machines were accompanied by examples of NIKE’s must-have “Greatest Hits” NSW shoes by FUTURA, MISTER CARTOON, and SoMe that were produced in LIVESTRONG’s trademark yellow colorway with 100% of profits going to benefit The Lance Armstrong Foundation/Livestrong. The bikes will join the “STAGES” show for its debut opening on Thursday and will later be joined on July 26th by Lance’s trio of Tour de France art bikes by MARC NEWSON, YOSHITOMO NARA, and, for the Tour finale, DAMIEN HIRST. Keep an eye on ST for more exclusive coverage of “STAGES” as the opening draws near and sneek peek looks at Lance’s next round of TDF bikes including an in-depth look at Hirst’s two-wheeled masterpiece…

Continuing his tradition of riding art bikes throughout his 2009 racing schedule to bring awareness to his forthcoming “STAGES” anti-cancer art show, ST buddy LANCE ARMSTRONG jumped out of the starting gate at this year’s TOUR DE FRANCE on a new prototype TREK TTX time trial bike (currently the most technologically advanced ride on the planet) customized by none other than design legend MARC NEWSON. Featuring a badass all-flat black paintjob with glossy yellow details, including a stroboscopic pattern on the rear disc wheel that pulses when spinning, the bike is a to-die-for addition to the quiver. Following up with a blazing time at yesterday’s Team Time Trial that pushed him into second place, we can’t help but think the bike must’ve had something to do with it. Sorry Lance, this year it IS about the bike. Stay tuned for sneek peeks at Lance’s upcoming ST-curated art bikes by YOSHITOMO NARA and DAMIEN HIRST coming soon.

As an added bonus all of Lance’s 2009 art bikes will be auctioned off by SOTHEBY’S on October 2nd at the VIP gala opening reception for “Stages” at the Park Avenue Armory with all proceeds going to benefit LIVESTRONG.

Lance photos by ST buddy LIZ KREUTZ

Supertouch buddies DALEK and MIKE GIANT took over GALERIE MAGDA DANYSZ with their dazzling eponymous joint show that opened its doors last week…

Pioneering “Hyperrealist” artist DUANE HANSON spent a lifetime perfecting his totally lifelike human sculptures before cancer claimed his life at age 71 in 1996. Now, in homage to the great renderer of the everyman, GALERIE EMMANUEL PERROTIN is presenting an incredible collection of some of the artist’s best work, representing everyone from skater kids to construction workers in their epic new Rue Turenne space in Paris’ 4th arrondissement. Hanson cast his sculptures from live subjects and fabricated them using fiberglass and resin, allowing for utterly lifelike detail. Thematically, Hanson was concerned with the man on the street and sought to portray the marginalized members of society he saw around him every day: “People, workers, the elderly, all these people I see with sympathy and affection. These are the people who have fought the battle of life and who now and then show the hard work and the frustration … It’s all about human activity, it’s truth, and we all get there.” As the home to Lance Armstrong’s upcoming anti-cancer “Stages” art show benefiting the Livestrong foundation this July 16th, Perrotin’s incredible exhibition provides the perfect prelude illustrating the career of an artist working at the peak of his craft when his life was so tragically ended by a disease still not fully understood. Hanson’s work remains on display until July 11th, don’t miss it. HAVE A LOOK: Read the rest of this entry »

As part of the Supertouch-curated “STAGES” anti-cancer art show set to debut in Paris during this year’s TOUR DE FRANCE, LIVESTRONG founder LANCE ARMSTRONG has sent a call out to cancer survivors who want to be immortalized in one of the show’s artworks to submit their personal data by this Friday, April 1st, by clicking HERE. A world-class artist who shall remain nameless until the show’s debut on July 16th at the esteemed GALERIE EMMANUEL PERROTIN will be creating an original work incorporating the names of hundreds of cancer survivors which will hang alongside new works by such participating artists as Cai Guo-Qiang, Ed Ruscha, Taryn Simon, Shepard Fairey, Richard Prince, Rosson Crow, Raymond Pettibon, KAWS, Eric White, Barry McGee, Christopher Wool, Marc Newson, Catherine Opie, and Os Gemeos, to name a few. Produced by NIKE as a benefit for the LIVESTRONG foundation, the show was conceived to engage the global creative community in a greater dialogue about the imminent threat posed by the cancer burden and the organization’s ultimate message of survivorship—the core reason behind Lance’s return to the sport in 2009. Keep an eye on ST for more “Stages” updates coming soon, and if you’re a cancer survivor, don’t forget to drop your name HERE by April 1st!

McFly on the wall: Survivors Michael J. Fox and Lance at Casa Armstrong in Austin, Tejás today…

French photographer JEAN-YVES LEMOIGNE’s snaps of pixelated girls of leisure for the current issue of premium French gamer & toy collector magazine AMUSEMENT are truly a thing of beauty in their Lego-esque cubism. HAVE A LOOK: Read the rest of this entry »

Notorious Parisian party boy street artist MR. ANDRE brings his trademark daddy-longlegged pink stickman to life for UK dance rockers CAZALS‘ new video for “Somebody Somewhere” and the results are nothing short of impressive. Let’s just hope Banksy’s rats stay put on their walls…

Espo’s artwork wears well…

NYC’s STEPHEN POWERS (aka: ESPO) teamed up with artist MATT GOLAS for a collaborative art exhibition “A True Provider is Good to Find” at Parisian hotspot COLETTE that opened this weekend in commemoration of WORLD AIDS DAY on December 1st. Addressing the issue of Paris’ large prostitute population, Espo created a run of custom made yellow raincoats as a metaphor for protection, many of which were given to and worn by actual prostitutes, while Golas created a run of handmade magnetic hotel key cards as a metaphor for emotional shelter. In addition to Powers’ raincoats, the hightop-faded artist also exhibited a large array of his personal photography and trademark handpainted signage bearing such heartfelt messaging as “Everything is shit except for you love,” and “I love you so fucking much it hurts.” Both Powers’ raincoats and Golas’ hotel keys are available now through the gallery’s online shop. HAVE A LOOK: Read the rest of this entry »