Friday, September 19, 2008


I've been trying to absorb as much information as i can about the current political situation in America as i feel that the decision that will be made by the American people will affect us all. However i still do not consider myself well informed and am aware that the American media will manipulate the facts. I try to read as much as i can from as many sources as possible.

Due to reading up on the election it was the picture above that drew my attention to New York artist Zina Saunders.

Saunders has been a writer and illustrator for more than a decade. She has a project called Overlooked New York which is a collection of interviews, profiles and portraits of diverse New York subcultures and hobbyists. She started Overlooked in 2004 in response to a long time curiosity about Puerto Rican men cycling decorated bikes. Overlooked features a diverse bunch of people such as street performers, park anglers, bike messengers, mushroom hunters, pigeon breeders and kite flyers
Saunders was born, lives and works in Manhattan.She attended Music and Art High School and The Cooper Union.She worked with a travelling circus in upstate New York as a levitating lady but eventually returned to the city where she was born. She is the daughter of well known illustrator Norman Sunders.

Overlooked offers a glimpse into New York city life that many people never see or never take the time to see. Such as Tone, a 30 year bike messenger who revealed:

"The worst thing, of course, is getting doored. One time there was a taxi, that was stopped at a light, and the woman inside opened the door wide open on the traffic side. I yelled out, and she tried to close it, but there wasn't time at all. And I went over the door, and I hit my throat on the top of the glass window, and I went over it and rolled twice, and I got up. As I was flopping, rolling through the air, I heard people yell, “Oh my God!” I mean no one really sees that kind of thing. So they see me just roll out and get right up.

Right when I get up, I pull out my Leatherman, my toolkit, because I know there's got to be something wrong with my bike. But the Leatherman opens up like a butterfly knife. So when the cab driver got out of his door, and he came towards me to see if I was OK, and I went to open my Leatherman, he totally flipped out, like I was going to stab him.

But I think the best thing about it all is just riding around and seeing people on the street. Seeing New York's face—like a kid being pushed along in a carriage, who sees me on the bike and smiles, and I get to ring my bell and he goes, "Yay!". Or a couple walking down the street and then suddenly they try to sneak in a kiss. Just little things about people."


Lottie said...

I have seen cyclists getting "doored" in Dublin. It looks so painful.

Green of Eye, Sharp of Claw said...

I've only seen it once and it made me cringe. Completely the fault of the driver who swerved in without indicating and the passenger opened the door. Poor cyclist went *whack* against the door.

Hence i don't cycle in the city :)

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