Lotus

The “Lotus” by Michael Allison incorporates old thrown away bicycle frames to create a uniquely designed lotus flower shaped bike rack. The bottom of the bike rack is green representing the base and root of the flower while the upper half is pink and obviously represents the pink petals of the plant. Using pink and green causes sculpture to stand out even more because they are complementary colors, which the eye is more naturally drawn towards. The work points upward from the ground and outward towards the city which forces the eyes to look forward but then take a step back and reflect upon where the roots are grounded. This could be a metaphor for Nashville’s deep-rooted past and ever-growing future, while the colors symbolize how different the past and future are in this ever-changing city.

This piece of art has been in Fannie Mae Dees Park, or better known by the local Nashvillians as "Dragon Park", since 2013 and blends in perfectly with the park's surroundings. The work may be a bike rack but that does not stop the kids in the park from treating it like a jungle gym. The work evokes a feeling of happiness and rebirth through the color and shape of the recycled bike frames.

The theme of the work seems to be a commentary on how much Nashville has flourished in the past couple of years. Before this piece of art, there was nowhere to lock up your bike in the park, which made it more likely to be stolen. It not only encourages cycling, which further fortifies the cities’ strong community bond, but it also gives hope to the future development of this great city.

The purpose of the work is to represent the rebirth of Nashville as well as to provide an aesthetically pleasing location to store your bike while you enjoy the park. Over the past decade, Nashville has begun to grow and develop more than ever. After the stock market crash in the late 2000s Nashville had to begin rebuilding its economy just like everyone else. Now after a decade, things are looking up and the city is currently growing faster than most major cities because of the amount of space for development that Nashville has to offer. This work demonstrates the born again Nashville as well as the old music city and brings a vivid new color and light to a park that is now right in the middle of the Nashville scene. The sculpture helps revamp an otherwise outdated and older local park.

Michael Allison has an extremely deep appreciation for art and nature that he discovered at an early age. The lotus flower is a representation of the constant fascination he had with man’s ability to manipulate nature into useful tools in everyday life. Allison saw this opportunity to take something people often throw away and turn into this parallel between man and nature that he has been making and interested in his whole life. He also strongly believes in public art because it allows people to interact on a daily basis with art rather than just inside some high-class museum. If you are interested in checking out the piece in person, the address is included below and according to Google it is open 24 hours a day, although I wouldn't advise hanging out there too late at night:

2400 Blakemore Ave, Nashville, TN 37212

Media & Techniques used:bike frames, paint

Style:Sculpturing, welding, and painting

The subject depicted:a lotus flower that is half green and half pink

Materials: recycled bike frames from a local source

How it is made:welding bike frames together and painting them