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(Left) The 1949 Imme R100 Is my personal favorite In the exhibit. The 99cc singlecylinder, two-strokepowered bike has some of the most innovative Ideas ever seen on a bike from the post-war era. It features a singlesided swlngarm that also functions as an exhaust pipe, and when the rear wheel is removed, the brake and sprocket assemblies stay in place Just like a modem-day endurance racer. The front fork Is also a single-sided design. (Left) For the on-road enthusiasts, there's five bikes of note • here's a 1965 Bultaco Sherpa T In the foreground and the newest selection In the exhibit, the 2001 MontesaIHonda 315RY trials bike, in the background. The 1948 Indian Chief that graces the cover of The Art of the Motorcycle book displaces 1206cc and it one of the most Iconic bikes of the exhibit. The photographic mural on the wall behind the bike Is an Image of Marion Brando in "The Wild One." The exhibit will run for approximately nine months to a year, and it is definitely worth a trip to Las Vegas by its own accord. The museum is open from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily. Admission is $15 for adults, $11 for students, $7 for children 6-12, and free for children under 6. For more information, visit: www.guggenheimlasvegas.org, or call 702/414-2440. Tickets may be purchased in advance at 866/Gugg-tix. eN most successful exhibit that the museum has ever had. The concept is now three years old and in its fourth location, but the critics are still lining up to take their shots. Certain closed-minded individuals in the "art community" still can't accept the fact that the motorcycle could possibly be construed as art. For example: Los Angeles Times Art Critic Christopher Knight stated in his review, "'The Art of the Motorcycle,' over at the Big Box [main gallery] is not much different from a show about the 'The Art of the Doorknob' - more romantic and elaborate, perhaps, but intellectually as dull. Anything fabricated by a human being obviously possesses an element of art, but unless an artist or an architect is directly involved (think furniture, especially), the level of art is generally low." The point is completely subjective, but I'm sure that most motorcycle enthusiasts - or open-minded individuals - would grow tired debating the subject with an individual like Mr. Knight before they ever made any headway. Having gone to art school (Left) The main gallery at the Guggenheim Las Vegas measures 210feet long by 160-feet wide with 70foot ceilings. The skylights can be opened or closed for natural light, and feature a transparent rendition of Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel ceiling on the underside of the skylights. (Below) The German-made 1922 Megola Sport featured a five-cylinder 640cc powerplant which was mounted within the confines of the front wheel. Each of the air-cooled cylinders displaced 12Bcc. The 14-horsepower engine was capable of propelling the bike to 60 mph. myself, I'm embarrassed by the snooty conformist attitude portrayed in a field supposedly known for its liberal views. A fact that many art critics refuse to admit is that the boundaries of art have been slowly expanding for the past hundred years - things like architecture, and industrial design, now have a legitimate place under the heading Art, and it would be contradictory to not explore new mediums. The Guggenheim is a museum of contemporary art, and the motorcycle is simply a reflection of 20th-century contemporary culture. The Guggenheim is at the forefront of exploring where art and contemporary culture are headed, and therefore a special exhibit like The Art of the Motorcycle makes perfect sense. ... U .... e n • _ S • OCTOBER 31.2001 25