JACK HARMAN
The Trail Garden
By considering the unexpected parallels between Bicycle Motor Cross (BMX) and sustainable building practices and eco-development the artist attempts to read the built environment as an index of deeper cultural, behavioural and ideological trends. Primarily drawing on the artist’s involvement in these activities as an autobiographical starting point, The Trail Garden aims to deconstruct assumptions of athletic culture by reimagining and experimenting with materials as a type of bricolage archeology
Within a nuanced subset of Bicycle Moto Cross (BMX) exist the trail riders, a discipline that unlike other aspects of the sport, relies on a specific ecology and ideology to exist. Manifesting as an idiosyncratic relationship, these riders adopt the role of the pseudo architect-builder, developing a new vernacular of sculptural forms to challenge and progress their sporting culture. Often constructed illegally, without permission on disused private or public land, trails are an incubator for community where labour and socialist logic provide a poignant and fertile sociological model for consideration in the late capitalist landscape.
Originating in California in the early 70’s, dirt jumping, later known as trails riding, was born out of resourcefulness and creativity. Young people began using bikes to emulate the cost prohibitive Moto Cross, building ad hoc tracks consisting of obstacles made from dirt and wood. Predominantly taking place on disused suburban land, any fenced dusty block became a blank canvas for adrenaline seeking adolescents. However, as the subculture grew, so did those wary of its (unfounded) association with juvenile delinquency and antisocial behaviour. As a consequence, risk adverse public and private bodies began a disheartening cycle of constantly destroying of these tracks due to liability. Eventually it became popular to redirect these activities to council approved concrete skate parks or privately owned monetised businesses. This established a precedent which governed and largely outlawed this discipline of BMX, forcing its passionate devotees to the periphery.
This forced a guerrilla subculture of riders to begin building more complex tracks, known as trails, often illegally, in well hidden locations in the bushland. Interestingly, these tracks were created by groups adopting a cooperative type model, where volunteer labour and a collective mindset was paramount in the development of these facilities. Originally the builders adopted sustainable building practices for their economic benefit, but soon the ethics of low environmental impact trails became a bargaining chip to mitigate adverse stakeholders and critics – further advancing the already intertwined relationship between trail riding and collectivism.
Again challenging the late capitalist landscape, the highly skilled analogue building techniques required to construct trails are largely taught through word of mouth. This is a secret recipe taught by the elders in the community to the younger generation. Due to the physical toll and time commitment of maintaining these tracks, the builders usually aged between 16-40, eventually fall away. This creates a cycle of terminal commitment which constantly repeats itself. The legacy of a set of trails often outlives its founders’ involvement, with current member-builders rebuilding, refining and adding to many years of labour, with examples such as California’s Sheep Hills, Pennsylvania’s Posh and Melbourne’s Diamo thriving for more than a quarter century.
It is not unsurprising that the adaptation of this discipline of BMX riding to a more sustainable and ecologically mindful mode of creation echoes a similar sentiment in much of contemporary culture. However, what is surprising, is how progressive and quickly this model has been adopted by the BMX community, which traditionally, and mostly still does, holds conservative values in other aspects of their lives. Thus through extrapolation, it is interesting to observe how this unique model may be applicable to other aspects of contemporary culture as we see lives and values dramatically shift during this critical moment in the Anthropocene.
Text by Adam Stone.
