Pedal Pushers 

Curator: Right, let’s take a closer look at "Pedal Pushers," a drawing by Greg Hildebrandt. At first blush, what leaps out at you? Editor: That's pure, unadulterated sass! It's like a pin-up poster come to life in pencil and vivid color. The high contrast, the cheeky pose...it's got a playful, rebellious energy, but it also kind of reeks of idealised female beauty from mid century, and all the problems and possibilities associated with that image-making tradition. Curator: Absolutely. And note the medium: pencil on, what looks like, black paper. Hildebrandt’s play with light and shadow is masterful. The stark contrast between the monochrome figure and the bold pops of the red top and, especially, that bright blue bicycle… it’s captivating, like a dream caught in graphite. Editor: The contrast is deliberate, for sure. The choice of only using full color to draw the viewer’s eye toward a fetishised object/idealised freedom. Like it’s drawing a dividing line. This tension of accessibility/freedom and exclusion. But it’s so stylized; it begs the question, is this artful critique, or artful promotion? Curator: Now there’s a delightful can of worms. It's not clear whether he critiques it, as he gives in to a certain gaze that permeates, even celebrates it. The woman on the bike exudes an attitude. It’s confident, bordering on arrogant. The barefoot adds to that. You almost feel complicit in admiring a projection… the ideal “biker babe”. The whole composition feels calculated, you know? Every line, every shadow. Editor: Indeed. The pose, the gaze, it's all meticulously crafted. Think about who's riding on whose 'freedom', the idea of liberation isn't without caveats in the patriarchy, especially as related to that vintage glamour. There is a performativity to this work which is a reflection of what some call second wave feminism, or popular media surrounding those notions. This is an icon alright! I am curious how a contemporary eye will gaze upon this depiction. Curator: I agree entirely! This image is provocative and powerful in its use of the figure to examine some fundamental cultural ideals. I feel a little uncomfortable but mostly enlivened. And Hildebrandt made this artful, pointed claim sing—I see a little wry smile lurking in the shadow of this drawing, you know? It doesn't get boring easily, which is maybe all one can ask for! Editor: Exactly! Like cycling through the historical, seeing where we've been, where we are now... "Pedal Pushers," indeed. We might all be pedaling somewhere in life; some further, or more confidently, than others, and it pays to be reminded to examine what is propelling us onwards.