Danny Lyon
The Bikeriders
June 14–August 18, 2024
Magnum Gallery is proud to present an online exhibition of Danny Lyon’s celebrated series, The Bikeriders, offering a raw insight into 1960s American biker culture. This body of work is animated by its diverse cast of characters, ranging from the devoted racers of McHenry, Illinois, to Zipco, Cockroach, and Cowboy, members of the Chicago Outlaws—the renegade motorcycle club Lyon rode with from 1965 to 1967. Lyon’s lens serves as a window into their world, offering a glimpse of the thrill, the danger, and the gritty reality of life on the open road. Through his unfiltered and intimate portraits, Lyon captures the essence of this rebellious subculture, shining a light on the reckless spirit that defined The Bikeriders.
Route 12. Wisconsin, USA, 1963
In his 2024 memoir, This is My Life I’m Talking About, Lyon recalls a photograph he took in 1963 from the window of his friend’s VW Bug while on their way to a motorcycle race in Wisconsin, “Looking through my 105mm lens, it wasn’t that hard to position the five bikes, speeding away, and push the shutter button, which went off like a small guillotine, a thsssippp sound you could hear across a room.” Twenty years later, it would be declared a “Masterpiece of Twentieth-Century Photography” by the Victoria & Albert Museum in London. Lyon would go on to make some of his most renowned pictures in this series from moving vehicles, embracing the thrill and the dynamism he sought to capture. “Motion excites me,” he proclaims.
At university, Lyon was introduced to motorcycle racing by his friend, Frank Jenner. Jenner left school to devote himself to racing on a Harley-Davidson he had built in his dorm room, at no small physical cost. After breaking his leg and back at a track in Holland, Michigan in 1963, he was forced to put away the bike for good. The images of Frank and other racers capture their devotion to the culture and the machines around which it was built, embodying the fearlessness and rebellious spirit that would come to define Lyon’s journey with the Outlaws.
“Rebels and rebellion are one of the saving graces of America”
Danny Lyon
Racer. Griffin, Georgia, USA, 1962
Scrambles track. McHenry, Illinois, USA, 1965
Johnny Goodpaster. Hobart, Indiana, USA, 1965
Outlaw camp. Elkhorn, Wisconsin, USA, 1965
One afternoon in 1965, Lyon asked the mechanic working on his 440 lb. British-made Triumph, “Do you know any gangs I can photograph?” Later that week, Lyon was at a diner on the North Side of Chicago photographing Outlaws where he was invited to join the club as a permanent member. The Outlaws had undergone significant transformations since its formation in the early 50s, with Johnny Davis, a transit truck driver, retaining the club colors after a leadership conflict. The club Lyon joined was defined by the thrill it found on the open road and the camaraderie of their shared rebellion.
Lyon’s Triumph with broken gearbox spring. New Orleans, Louisiana, USA, 1965
Club house during the Columbus run. Dayton, Ohio, USA, 1965
Sparky and Cowboy. Schererville, Indiana, USA, 1965
Crossing the Ohio. Kentucky, Louisville, USA, 1966
Cal. Elkhorn, Wisconsin, USA, 1966
Among outlaws and drifters, transience is the dominant mode. Part of the allure of The Bikeriderslies in its authentic and raw portrayal of a bygone era. “Most of the bikeriders I knew are dead. Now and then I hear from their children, often asking about parents that I knew, and they didn’t,” he reflects.
In a digital age, where relationships and communities are increasingly confined to the online world, this project represents a vibrant record of a subculture that embraced freedom in its purest form, where the relationship between human and machine was part of a broader mission to achieve this freedom for the collective. As Lyon himself notes, his work serves as a “time machine,” transporting viewers back to a period of rebellion and personal freedom.
Memorial Day run. Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA, 1965
“As long as Harley-Davidsons are manufactured, other bikeriders will appear, riding unknown and beautiful through Chicago, into the streets of Cicero.”
Danny Lyon
Funny Sonny packing with Zipco. Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA, 1965
Danny Lyon on his red Triumph. USA, 1967
The Bikeriders is more than a collection of photographs; it is a testament to a vibrant, rebellious subculture. Through his lens, Lyon captured the essence of the bike riders, blending personal narratives with striking imagery. His initiation into the Chicago Outlaws allowed him to document their lives with unparalleled authenticity, providing a glimpse into a world defined by freedom, camaraderie, and defiance.
Lyon’s work underscores the enduring appeal of the biker’s rebellious spirit. His photographs and the stories they tell continue to captivate, reminding us of the enduring power of genuine human experience.
Signed copies of The Bikeriders can be purchased here.
Instagram: @dannylyonphotos2
Website: www.bleakbeauty.com
This online exhibition coincides with the upcoming release from Focus Features of the eponymous film inspired by this series. ‘THE BIKERIDERS’, directed by Jeff Nichols, is set to be released worldwide on June 21, 2024.
THE BIKERIDERS, directed by Jeff Nichols, a Focus Features release. Credit: Courtesy of Focus Features. © 2024 Focus Features, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Austin Butler as Benny in director Jeff Nichols’ THE BIKERIDERS, a Focus Features release. Credit: Courtesy of Focus Features. © 2024 Focus Features, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Tom Hardy stars as Johnny in director Jeff Nichols’ THE BIKERIDERS, a Focus Features release. Credit: Kyle Kaplan/Focus Features. © 2024 Focus Features, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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