"Slant Artist," Motorcycles as Art exhibit at The Legendary Buffalo Chip
Maverick - Sep 9, 2011

CycleMatters was invited to attend the 2011 Motorcycles as Art exhibit at the Sturgis Buffalo Chip during the Sturgis Rally. What a treat!! 

Featuring avant-garde artist, Jeff Decker along with host Michael Lichter, “Slant Artist – An Eccentric View on Motorcycles and Art," was a raging success and is being hailed as one of the best exhibits to date.

The title of the show, "Slant Artist," was named after the incredible motorcycle racers who climb steep inclines against the clock and each other, such bikers have impressed and inspired Decker as an artist.

The exhibition, located at the Buffalo Chip, featured the largest collection of Decker's work ever in one place, including the first public viewing of Decker's astounding collection of vintage motorcycle club vests, jackets and vintage motorcycles.

The exhibit featured over ten of Decker's beautiful bronze sculptures, created using a method called "lost wax" bronze casting 

The exhibit also featured an eclectic assortment of wall art culled from Decker's private collection and that of his personal friends.

Decker was present at the exhibit sculpting a new piece of art and giving tours of the gallery to enthralled visitors.

Touring the Lichter Exhibit Hall at the Chip was much like taking a 7,000 sq. ft. tour of the last 100 years of motorcycling history with Decker as the historian. He spent much of each day taking fascinated visitors through the museum space answering questions on various bikes, pieces of art, items of memorabilia and tokens of historical significance.

Decker called the showcase "the pinnacle of my career, where I've come so far in my life as an artist, a sculptor, a collector and a historian. What's neat about coming to this community is, mostly it's about later models and high performing motorcycles. Hopefully, I can give them a sense of where we've come from over the last century. That would be my biggest hope, that mild enthusiasts would turn into more passionate riders, because of what we've offered at the Buffalo Chip."

"This was, one of the best Motorcycles as Art exhibits we have done at The Chip, great art, great bikes, all with an eccentric view. I couldn't have asked for anything better," said Motorcycles as Art curator Michael Lichter.

"We had more people come to The Chip to go through the Motorcycles as Art exhibit than ever before, it was a success on many levels due to the hard work put in by everyone, but especially Mike Lichter and Jeff Decker," said Rod Woodruff, owner of the Buffalo Chip.

The Motorcycles as Art Exhibition has been held at the Legendary Buffalo Chip Campground for the last three years. The Buffalo Chip built the Lichter Exhibition Hall to showcase the Motorcycles as Art exhibition. The Buffalo Chip and Woodruff have historically been a huge supporter of motorcycle-centric art, and Michael Lichter's art specifically, since the beginning of his career.

Sponsors of the Slant Artist exhibition included Custom Chrome, Renewable Fuel Associations, Handy Lifts, Hot Leathers, kandgcycles.com, Keyboard Motorcycle Shipping, Progressive Motorcycle Insurance, and Spectro Performance Oils.

For thirty years the Legendary Buffalo Chip has proven itself as the heart of Sturgis Rally Week.  Our question is this: what is in store for 2012 and how will they top 2011?!