Deterioration of Olek’s Yarn Bike

Olek’s colorful yarn bike, which is still parked outside the Essex Street Market, has definitely seen better times.  The street is finally taking its toll. Over the last few weeks, sections of the crochet were peeled from the bicycle frame, and now the seat and rear wheel are visible again. This deterioration notwithstanding, the project remains a magnet for photography.

Olek created the flamboyant yarn bike, first spotted near ABC No Rio where the artist also hand-crafted the window designs.  After about a month, the street art was moved close to the entrance of the Essex Street Market.  The move likely went hand-in-hand with the new exhibit currently on display at the Cuchifritos gallery space inside the market.

The exhibit itself is called Collected: Working Space 10, and features artwork by the four artists-in-residence at the seasonal Rotating Studio program hosted by the Artists Alliance. Olek’s contribution is a freshly-crocheted floor with a stark resemblance to the yarn bike. It will be on display through August 7.

[May 2010]

But it is here, on Essex, that the yarn bike has been put to pasture, as it were.  Any final words?