Saturday, January 21, 2012

David Mann LA/Southbay Style

I've been thinking I'd like to post some more stuff that relates to this month's header but, have also known, I'm way overdue for posting some David Mann art. Then, as I was clearing out some files, I ran across this:
Was Dave purposely portraying a South Bay Chopper?

You might remember this from one of the Chopper Fest flyers. There's quite a few things of interest going on here. 1. Off hand, I can't think of any other of Dave's work featuring American 12 spoke mags. 2. The springer's front legs has a round perch like Dick Allen's did. 3. He's sort of revisiting the Hollywood Run with the sign and search lights. 4. It's signed Roach 1975, meaning it was done for Roach Studios, an old (t-shirt and decal), competitor of Ed Roth. Dave wasn't the only one that jumped ship. After Roth folded up shop, Ed Newton went over to Roach as it's art director. BTW Roach Studios has been rekindled and is now once again selling Newt's old designs.

All this, and the fact that my Google stats consistently show that the largest number of keyword searches are related to Dave's art, means there's a huge audience out there hungry for it.

10 comments:

pelican said...

I don't understand why someone doesn't make a huge hardcover art book of his paintings. Would sell like crazy

Chris K said...

Easyriders owns the copyright to most of Dave's motorcycle art. Over the years they have printed at least 3 large books of selected works but, all were soft cover and are out of print. last I saw, Jackie Mann was selling the last edition on her website at $100 ea.

Irish Rich said...

I think that the influence is there, but I think there's some Berdoo mixed in there, too. The springer is kind of a mix of a DA, and a Denvers, check the rocker design.

I'm thinking this is leftover/unused art for a Jammers Handbook, that Mann peddled to Roach. Sure looks like it might have been meant for catalog cover art to me.

pelican said...

yeah chris, but one.... softcover sucks and two.... 50 prints per book is nothing. He should get a book like a proper artist- hardcover start of career to finish.

Chris K said...

Yup, I did notice the rockers were not like Dick's and also the frame stretch. You might say it's long laid back SoCal bike.

Chris K said...

Pelican, You're right, that would be cool. I didn't mean to say what has already been printed is good enough.

I should have said: Owning so much of the rights and having done 3 books, Easyriders may have a hard time allowing someone else to publish Dave's work.

One thing's for sure. To do it right would be a lot of work on someones behalf.

bbob said...

Wow I didn't know easyrider had the rights to most his stuff. I have the signed original painting that was Oct 2002 centerfold in biker magazine first 8000.00 takes

bbob said...

What's an original painting of a 2002 biker mag centerfold worth?

Chris K said...

bbob, Probably the best way to find out it's value, action it on ebay.

Nonya Bidness said...

Though the background doesn't remind me of LA's South Bay in any way, with exception of the Palm trees of course, the rider, the ol' lady both on an ol' school chopper that one can assume was built in the rider's garage with a gaggle of drunk and/or stoned friends (or club Brothers), looks just like me and my gaggle of drunk and/or stoned friends helping me build to a righteously soul-stirring anesthetic when I was 19 and building my first basket-case Harley in the South Bay town of Redondo Beach. It was a great place to grow up in, but not such a good place to be just another workin' stiff for the rest of my life, so in '92 the ol' and me left for good. Been in Alabama ever since, which I can hardly believe has been 30 years now.

Anyhow, I love David Mann's work enough that I'd never log on at a site where his work is displayed, whether or not I believe his capture of the landscape(s) is 100% accurate. Dude knows how to invoke the feeling(s) of being a biker, the lifestyle, dare I even say the "culture" of living one's life behind (handle) bars. He captures the life of being a biker by he, himself, being an authentic artist. In this particular Cas, with the South Bay holding a prominent piece of the Title of the article, it just hit me in the nostalgia bone and I had to comment on the whole, and really cool and all-encompassing memories of growing up during those time periods and in the places, when combined, are referred to as "the South Bay." Thanks for the reminders of a significant percentage of my memory banks about