David Mann (artist) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
David Mann
|
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born | September 10, 1940 Kansas City, Missouri, U.S.
|
| Died | September 11, 2004 (aged 64) |
| Education | Kansas City Art Institute |
| Known for | Painting, illustration |
| Movement | Biker art |
| Awards | Kansas City Custom Car Show 1963 "Hollywood Run" AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame 2004 National Motorcycle Museum (Anamosa, IA) Hall of Fame – Promotion Category 2004 |
| Patron(s) | Ed "Big Daddy" Roth, Easyriders magazine |
David Mann (September 10, 1940 — September 11, 2004) was a famous artist from California. He was known for his paintings of motorcycles, especially 'choppers,' and the people who rode them. Many people called him the "artist of the biker world." You could see his art everywhere: in biker clubs, on motorcycle gas tanks, as tattoos, and on T-shirts. Some real choppers were even built to look like the bikes in his paintings!
His art showed cool Harley choppers against interesting backgrounds. These colorful pictures celebrated the freedom of riding on the open road. They often showed themes like speed, long hair, and feeling free, just like in the movie Easy Rider. Most of his art was made for the motorcycle world, especially for popular motorcycle magazines.
Contents
About David Mann
Early Life and Art
David Mann grew up in Kansas City, Missouri. He started drawing and painting when he was very young. At first, he loved custom cars and worked as a car painter. After high school, he moved to California. There, he became very interested in motorcycles and the biker lifestyle. Soon, motorcycles became the main subject of his art instead of cars.
Becoming a Motorcycle Artist
In 1963, Mann took some of his artwork to a car show in Kansas City. Another biker artist named Tom Fugle saw his painting "Hollywood Run." Tom showed a photo of it to Ed Roth, who was a famous artist and custom car builder. Ed Roth also published one of the first custom motorcycle magazines, Choppers.
Ed Roth loved David's painting! He asked David to create many original posters. These posters were sold for many years in the back pages of Easyriders magazine. In 1965, David joined Tom Fugle's El Forastero Motorcycle Club. He became one of the first members of their Kansas City group.
In 1971, David saw an ad in a new motorcycle magazine called Easyriders. They were looking for a "motorcycle artist." He applied for the job.
Working with Easyriders Magazine
After 1972, David Mann's artwork started appearing regularly in Easyriders magazine. This partnership lasted for the rest of his life. His art became the main picture in the middle of the magazine starting in 1973. He continued creating these centerfold artworks until 2003. He had to stop because of his health.
A collection of David Mann's work was first published in 1993. It was updated again in 2004.
Awards and Tributes
In 2004, David Mann was honored by being added to the motorcycle Hall of Fame. This was a big achievement for him.
David Mann passed away in 2004, one day after his 64th birthday. Before he died, a special motorcycle was being built in his honor. This bike was made by Orange County Choppers for their TV show American Chopper. The "David Mann Bike" had custom artwork in his famous style. David passed away before the bike was finished. The episode was a tribute to him and his work.
His ashes were planned to be placed in the gas tank of a Harley-Davidson Sportster motorcycle. This bike was painted in his special "David Mann Red" color. David is remembered by his wife, Jacquie, and his children.
Every year since 2004, there's a custom motorcycle show called the David Mann Chopper Fest. It's held in Ventura, California. The show celebrates David Mann's unique art style and spirit.
David Mann's Art Style
David Mann often painted a motorcycle and its rider with another figure. This other figure would either be similar to the biker or very different. A common image was two bikes riding side by side on the road. Over 30 years, he created many different versions of this idea.
Biker and Kindred Spirits
One type of painting showed a biker next to a similar person. This could be a trucker or another character who understood the biker lifestyle. Sometimes, the biker was shadowed by a ghostly figure from the past. This might be a medieval knight, a Wild West gunfighter, or a trapper. The biker and the other figure would often wear similar clothes or look alike. This showed that the biker was a modern version of that historical hero.
Biker and Opposing Figures
Another type of painting showed the biker with someone who didn't like them. This could be silly police officers or "square" motorists. Sometimes, it was a rich person who was annoyed because their wife, daughter, or son clearly admired the biker.
Biker and Female Figures
The third type of painting included a female figure. She might be a magical figure watching over the biker from the sky. Or she could be a real woman riding with the biker or watching him ride away.
Mann painted three works where women were shown riding motorcycles. One showed a man and a woman riding side by side. Another showed two women riding three-wheeled motorcycles (trikes) at night. These paintings simply showed them riding.
One painting was a portrait of the Devil Dolls Motorcycle Club. This was the first all-female motorcycle club in the United States. The famous Golden Gate Bridge was in the background. In another painting, a confused woman was trying to ride a motorcycle. She looked out of control and was falling off.
Other Art Themes
Some of David Mann's art was more surreal. These paintings often didn't have choppers or bikers at all. Instead, they featured skulls, flames, women, and tattoos. He often made the tattooed images on skin seem to come alive.
A big message in Mann's art was about bikers wanting to be noticed and respected. They wanted the mainstream world to appreciate biker art and the biker lifestyle. But at the same time, bikers often rejected that mainstream world. They preferred their own values and wanted to show that "squares" couldn't control them. The biker artist seemed distant, but also got annoyed if ignored. They always looked for the right kind of attention.
His art also showed the honor and nobility of bikers. He often painted them as modern knights or other heroic figures. Members of his own El Forastero Motorcycle Club appeared in many of his paintings.
An episode of the TV show Sacred Steel Bikes on Discovery Channel was named after him.
See also
- DIY Culture
- Lowbrow (art movement)
Images for kids
-
David Mann and his wife, Jacquie.
