Bike Life is a community that borders on a movement—artistic, social, and expressive. The scene is predominantly composed of young adults and teens from diverse backgrounds and genders from all over the city who express a creative language and personal style through bike tricks—wheelies, swerving, dancing, and surfing.
Gatherings happen regularly as ride-outs, where anywhere between 10 and 1500 bikers ride en mass, weaving through the city for anywhere between 10 and 35 miles while mesmerizing bystanders with a parade of stunts and choreographed and freestyle compositions. Bike Life’s circulating message, “We’re outside,” speaks to a certain adjoining vibe—of freedom and positivity, staying true, celebrating, and lifting up each other's individual styles, not only on the bike but in their world that follows, in their being.
Bike Life— it’s the movement and tricks and being in the flow. It’s the feeling of wind while you map the city. It's popping wheelies with your pack. In Bike Life, that bike is life.
Photographer Brian Finke is a seasoned visual storyteller whose work captures the essence of everyday life with remarkable authenticity. Through his lens, Finke invites viewers to contemplate the intricacies of everyday life, finding beauty and meaning in the seemingly mundane. His body of work serves as a testament to the power of photography to illuminate the shared human experience and provoke thought and introspection.
In his career, Finke has published eight books on subjects ranging from cheerleaders to flight attendants and U.S. Marshals. He has garnered acclaim for his candid portrayal of American subcultures and earned recognition from esteemed publications like American Photo magazine. Finke's talent has been further acknowledged through nominations for the International Center for Photography's Infinity Award and the receipt of a New York Foundation for the Arts Fellowship.
With a diverse portfolio spanning editorial and commercial realms, Finke's photographs have graced the pages of prominent publications, including National Geographic, The New York Times, and The New Yorker. Additionally, his work is featured in museum collections across the United States and abroad, cementing his status as a notable figure in contemporary photography. Finke also guest teaches at institutions such as the International Center of Photography in Manhattan and FotoFilmic in Vancouver.
A native of Texas now residing in Brooklyn, Finke's personal interests, including travel, tattoos, and biking, inform and enrich his photographic perspective. His latest monograph Backyard Fights (Hat & Beard Press, 2022) offers a compelling glimpse into his ongoing exploration of human dynamics and cultural phenomena.
