Three's a crowd? Not so, says Hamilton senior Austin Hawkins. On the contrary, three is stronger than two: it is a symbol of unity, energy, overcoming duality, completion, humanity and creation. It is an element of many religions and has a larger cultural meaning. For Hawkins, a bicycle holding three riders is a good balance compared to just one or two, and the flamboyant bike he recently built proves it.
Hawkins originally intended to major in French and sculpture at Hamilton, but going abroad to France caused a rift in these pursuits because he could not fulfill the requirements for the sculpture portion of the art major. Instead, Hawkins decided to shift his focus to drawing. But his experience in France did anything but destroy his love of craft.
"While I was there, I remembered my friend who had an old tandem bicycle," he said. He described how his friend would pick up random people on his way around town. "I realized the symbolism behind people just riding along and picking each other up." Hawkins emphasized his strong desire to go on a long bike ride after having thought about the bond between those bike riders traversing a common path.
"At one point or another, it became apparent that I was going to build something," Hawkins said. He knew that this was something he wanted to pursue, but with a unique edge. A bicycle built for two was not very original – but a bicycle for three was fresh idea.
It took Hawkins about two weeks to build his invention, which is a vibrant display of red, green, and purple painted on 50 feet of steel tubing. The tubes wind and coil uninhibited – a result of Hawkins' work with a hydraulic tubing bender. There is a spiral in the bottom frame which is unnecessary but takes on a sculptural quality. But the power of the bike does not lie in solely its aesthetic appeal.
"The great thing about the bike," Hawkins explained, "is that everyone does the best they can." Everyone contributes to the bike's movement, and one person may pick up another's slack without much extra effort. "It's like Communism on wheels – it's all out of goodwill and a testament to friendship."
It is a testament to friendship but also to the effect of human craftsmanship. "I want people to understand that I influenced it, to feel the energy of a human creation," Hawkins stressed. "The accumulation of any experience-based knowledge is part of being an artist. To interact with objects as the creation of the individual, as something that has been an investment of time and tireless labor, is something important to me." Being attached to an object which you know has come from raw material and is now a useful human tool is critical.
Hawkins has committed himself to several other projects in the past, including a collective effort to erect a snow structure on Minor Field, behind Major Residence Hall. He has also built mini ramps for skateboarding, put dry wall screws through mountain bike tires, and worked on other functional things.
The pragmatism of his efforts is a quality which Hawkins advocates. "I've been taught to write here and many other things which inspire curiosity," he said. "But I what I haven't learned is physical skills. All the skills I needed to live I learned in high school." He consistently demonstrates a passion for those things which can bring more vitality and efficiency to life.
Hawkins belongs to a club called GNAR (short for "gnarly"), dedicated to extreme sports. "Basically, we do unconventional sports and some questionably dangerous activities," he said, noting that if the club had a faculty advisor or even just a stronger presence on campus, the members might feel more restricted in terms of what they could attempt. Hawkins says this has been a theme throughout his life. "Not many people will believe me when I say I'm going to go do something, but then I go do it."
He concluded, "If a challenge is so great that everyone tells me it's impossible, I will be more driven to do it."
-- By Allison Eck '12
Hawkins originally intended to major in French and sculpture at Hamilton, but going abroad to France caused a rift in these pursuits because he could not fulfill the requirements for the sculpture portion of the art major. Instead, Hawkins decided to shift his focus to drawing. But his experience in France did anything but destroy his love of craft.
"While I was there, I remembered my friend who had an old tandem bicycle," he said. He described how his friend would pick up random people on his way around town. "I realized the symbolism behind people just riding along and picking each other up." Hawkins emphasized his strong desire to go on a long bike ride after having thought about the bond between those bike riders traversing a common path.
"At one point or another, it became apparent that I was going to build something," Hawkins said. He knew that this was something he wanted to pursue, but with a unique edge. A bicycle built for two was not very original – but a bicycle for three was fresh idea.
It took Hawkins about two weeks to build his invention, which is a vibrant display of red, green, and purple painted on 50 feet of steel tubing. The tubes wind and coil uninhibited – a result of Hawkins' work with a hydraulic tubing bender. There is a spiral in the bottom frame which is unnecessary but takes on a sculptural quality. But the power of the bike does not lie in solely its aesthetic appeal.
"The great thing about the bike," Hawkins explained, "is that everyone does the best they can." Everyone contributes to the bike's movement, and one person may pick up another's slack without much extra effort. "It's like Communism on wheels – it's all out of goodwill and a testament to friendship."
It is a testament to friendship but also to the effect of human craftsmanship. "I want people to understand that I influenced it, to feel the energy of a human creation," Hawkins stressed. "The accumulation of any experience-based knowledge is part of being an artist. To interact with objects as the creation of the individual, as something that has been an investment of time and tireless labor, is something important to me." Being attached to an object which you know has come from raw material and is now a useful human tool is critical.
Hawkins has committed himself to several other projects in the past, including a collective effort to erect a snow structure on Minor Field, behind Major Residence Hall. He has also built mini ramps for skateboarding, put dry wall screws through mountain bike tires, and worked on other functional things.
The pragmatism of his efforts is a quality which Hawkins advocates. "I've been taught to write here and many other things which inspire curiosity," he said. "But I what I haven't learned is physical skills. All the skills I needed to live I learned in high school." He consistently demonstrates a passion for those things which can bring more vitality and efficiency to life.
Hawkins belongs to a club called GNAR (short for "gnarly"), dedicated to extreme sports. "Basically, we do unconventional sports and some questionably dangerous activities," he said, noting that if the club had a faculty advisor or even just a stronger presence on campus, the members might feel more restricted in terms of what they could attempt. Hawkins says this has been a theme throughout his life. "Not many people will believe me when I say I'm going to go do something, but then I go do it."
He concluded, "If a challenge is so great that everyone tells me it's impossible, I will be more driven to do it."
-- By Allison Eck '12
