Expression through technology - what an expansive thought. Who says motorcycle art has to be confined to mere paper and canvas any longer? The future holds another realm of possibilities - examined by way of computer. Digital art, simply put, is unique because one of the creative tools used to manipulate an art piece is a mouse -- computer, that is. For over the past twenty-five years, computer-generated art has been used to accent different formats including TV, film and photography, but has yet to be officially accepted as an “entity” in the art community until recently. To the reluctant few who may think this sounds like a cold medium, we encourage you to take another look at the images touched by technology. As we seek to revolutionize the positive view of women and motorcycles, it only makes sense that artists are turning to this modern style of expression.

At the forefront of this newly recognized art movement is Carole Bennett. A software developer by trade, she combined her professional talents with her affinity for motorcycling to create the Urban Biker Goddess series. All in an effort to diminish the scantily clad umbrella girl straddling the motorcycle image of old, Carole strives to expose the true beauty of today’s female motorcyclists. She draws inspiration from the women she sees on the road and by the people in her life, like her daughter studying to be a mechanic.

Once a story is conceived in her minds eye, Carole takes that vision to her keyboard and begins to express what her subjects will ultimately reveal. She begins by setting the environment, the mood of the piece, decides where the scene takes place and then adds her leading lady. This entails many steps: posing, positioning of the body, choosing the clothes, all to create individual integrity. Each of the women in this series portray a splendid variety of shapes and sizes, much like the real world. The motorcycles in her artwork have no commercial ties, using many different makes and models from sport to cruiser to dirt bike, etc. to fit the role of the leading lady. This is however, not your color-by-number sort of thing. The attention to detail with ambience, sub-surface scattering and layering involved to produce a certain texture or color is immense and takes precise digital customization by the artist herself, leaving no two scenes alike. Software programs and a keen knowledge of color theory, lighting, camera angles, structure and body language are all intertwined with tech savvy for an ultimate 3D finish. For an example of the complexity, the basic female figure has twenty texture zones, seven for the eyes alone! And the lighting and camera angling on Ivy, the motocross rider, is a completely authentic pose which is almost impossible to duplicate in real life, now recreated in digital form for all to experience.

Carole Bennett understands that there must be a solid relationship between the message and her artwork to allow the observer to understand, feel and move within the visual compositions, thus the revolution of the Urban Biker Goddess series. If the imagery is strong enough, the impact is greater on both social norms of a female’s place on the road and the traditional philosophy of art. So open your mind and your soul to accept these cultural shifts of a new art era and visual insight of women motorcyclists for inspiration and liberation in this new millennium.