The fact is that if a few years ago American masters were considered to be the trendsetters in customizing (and, in general, deservedly so), today their leadership is not so unqualified. Whatever it is, even Americans themselves are beginning to admit it a little bit. What kind of bear should die over the mountain for that to happen!
Commenting on the situation on the American custom scene, Michael Lichter draws an interesting analogy with the phenomenon known in the history of rock music as the British Invasion. Rhythm and Blues and rock and roll, which in the 50's spread like an avalanche from the U.S. all over the world, returned to America in 1964-66 with The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Yardbirds and others. Creativity of the "invaders", in turn, influenced the American rock music of времениѕ A similar parsley, according to Likhter, is happening nowadays with customizing. Well, the theory is at least beautiful.
Its author has the right to draw such parallels - music once occupied not the last place in his life. As a young man, he was known as a good jazz drummer and at one time even earned his living by playing in a band performing bi-bop. Everything changed in 1977, when Michael hung drum sticks on a nail and embarked on his first trans-American voyage on a Harley-Davidson Shovelhead just bought from the hands of 1971. He started taking pictures of bikers on the trip. Over the next few years, the photographs of cowboys and motorcyclists brought recognition to the author. He began to be exhibited as a professional photographer and his works sold well. Not only private collectors but also serious institutions such as the French National Library in Paris are among his customers
Michael Lichter's photographs were published by Easyriders magazine, and exactly ten years after his first motorcycle ride (with a contract with this edition in his pocket) he went on his third trip to Sturgis. Since then, the words "Lichter" and "Easyriders" have been "Lenin" and "party". In the same 1981, after his personal exhibition in Dublin was boycotted by the Irish Decency League, Michael was disappointed in the "art world", gave up public exhibitions and devoted himself entirely to commercial photography. His studio in Boulder, Colorado, was used by giants as well, let's call it IBM. He also shot advertisements for representatives of the American custom industry: Big Dog Motorcycles, American IronHorse, Perse Performance, Weld Wheels, Legend Air-Ride.
Today the photographer and publicist Michael Lichter has about a thousand articles for Easyriders, "Sturgis", "Choppers: Heavy Metal Art", "Top Chops", "Billy Lane: Chop Fiction", "Arlen Ness: The King of Choppers". In 2000 he returned to public exhibitions and since then annually organizes thematic exhibitions, which are always a success with the public, who breathe roughly to customizing. Moreover, Likhter has made it a rule to borrow the most interesting motorcycles to decorate the interior of his events from the most eminent masters. And those who are not fools, willingly go towards him.
One World Choppers is the seventh such exposition. Its peculiarity is that this time, except for motorcycles (according to the plan of the organizer, their selection should symbolize the "custom international"), not the author's photographs of Michael, as usual, but the painting and graphics of "imported" artists, wrapping up the motorcycle theme were exhibited. As it turned out, there are not so few of them - here you can find Dutchman Dackman (behind the pseudonym "Duck Man" hides the famous "3D-castomizer" Mark van der Kwack), and German Michael Knepper, and Canadians Mark Lacursier (aka "Motor-Mark") and Manon Elder.
I would like to express the idea that no matter how beautiful the slogans about the general unity sound and the world of customizing will remain unipolar for a long time. And that's why it turns out that the infusion into American customizing from outside is often radical - many masters simply collect in the homeland of the manatka and buy the notorious "van uay-ticket" - "one-way ticket", in our opinion. And this "end" is, of course, the USA. This choice was made by John Reed, Cyril Hughes, Ricky Battistini, Chica, Sinya Kimura, Russell Mitchell. And I'm sure God knows how many more "one world" custom masters are secretly thinking the same thing.