new equilibria

a pairing: Cyclist, by Natalia Goncharova, 1913

dynamic cyclist in Cyclist, by Natalia Goncharova, 1913

For a period of her career, Russian painter, Natalia Goncharova (1881 - 1962), was an exponent of Russian Futurism, influenced by the early 20th century Italian art movement that glorified the dynamism of the machine—planes, trains and automobiles . . . and bicycles, too. A contemporary movement with an aim the Futurists might or might not have had an issue with is Critical Mass, which conducts monthly spontaneous protests by cyclists who want cities to make their streets more friendly to bicycles.

Critical Mass, Vancouver

There was no way to determine 
the criticality of the mass
of happy, hooting cyclists, 
kinetic at the intersection
of Robson and Burrard, 
on the last Friday of April.

But one guy 
standing at the corner 
who had waited too long 
in his silver suit
to cross the street
felt compelled 
to flip them all the bird, 
as though a chain reaction
they were creating 
would eventually reach him— 
the fallout of two-wheelers
an affront to his muscle car life.

Meanwhile, and in contrast, 
the line of customers 
at the Japa-Dog stand
on the corner 
was growing exponentially—
it was, for the moment, 
a new equilibrium.

Natalia Goncharova and other members of the The Donkey’s Tail, a quite unmachinelike name for a group of Fururists - 1912