There’s been some confusion around the name of our event. “Why Bicycle” people have asked. One artist we contacted thought it was to be an exhibit on bicycles, pictures dedicated to them. Not so. BICYCLE was named first and foremost for Dr. Albert Hofmann. For those of you who don’t know, Dr. Hofmann is a Swiss scientist who in the 1940′s synthesized the compound lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD). After a strange reaction to some of this compound getting on his skin, Dr. Hofmann decided to self experiment with what would be the recommended dosage for reaction to a typical compound. In his own words :
Exercising extreme caution, I began the planned series of experiments with the smallest quantity that could be expected to produce some effect, considering the activity of the ergot alkaloids known at the time: namely, 0.25 mg (mg = milligram = one thousandth of a gram) of lysergic acid diethylamide tartrate. Quoted below is the entry for this experiment in my laboratory journal of April 19, 1943. The first section contains notes on the production of the tartrate (tartaric acid salt) of LSD.
4/19/43 16:20: 0.5 cc of Vi promil aqueous solution of diethylamide tartrate orally = 0.25 mg tartrate. Taken diluted with about 10 cc water. Tasteless.
17:00: Beginning dizziness, feeling of anxiety, visual distortions, symptoms of paralysis, desire to laugh.
Supplement of 4/21: Home by bicycle. From 18:00-ca. 20:00 most severe crisis. (See special report.)
“Home by BICYCLE”. And then what followed was undoubtedly an extraordinary experience, one that would have terrified most, but Dr. Hofmann saw the intrinsic value in LSD-25.
A few people have pointed out that “bicycle day” is on April 19, the day of the actual ride. This party is not a “bicycle day” celebration, the name is simply an ode to the spirit of Dr. Hofmann. A man who had an idea about something, a hunch and instead of letting it go, moved forward with it, and in doing so brought the ancient tribal concept of the substance assisted spiritual and psychological “trip” into the modern age and made this experience accessible to all. In a way the artists that are showcasing at BICYCLE do the same, through the images they create they open the doors of the viewers consciousness on an unconscious level. This form of art brought together with music, another vehicle of conscious elevation, propels the growth of the spirit in ways we are sometimes unaware of on the surface.
And so we come to the second reason this event is called BICYCLE. A bicycle is a self powered vehicle. There is no outward source of energy that propels it except yourself (and possibly gravity, it is San Francisco after all!). BICYCLE hopes people are inspired by the art they see and hear to propel themselves forward in search of the deeper cosmic awakening that is happening on this planet. We stand on the edge of a great moment in history. A time foretold by ancient cultures worldwide: the dawning of the Age of Aquarius, The Hopis and Mayans Fifth World, the end of the Hindu Kali Age and quite possibly the Revelations of the Christian bible. We all have the ability to be self propelled into a higher consciousness.
And so in the words of the late, great Freddy Mercury, “GET ON YOUR BIKES AND RIDE”.
1 Trackback or Pingback for this entry:
[...] The meaning behind all this. In 1943 Albert Hoffman discovered LSD 25 while working in his lab. Assuming the compound to be useless for what he was trying to create, he decided to re-examine it on its own merits after a “trippy” experience in which he had absorbed a bit through his skin. So on a spring day in 1943 Hoffman ingested 250 mics of pure LSD (this is an enormous dosage for LSD but for most drugs considered a very low dosage). Once the drug kicked in, Hoffman freaked out a bit, jumped on his BICYCLE and quickly rode home. This shirt design is a graphic representation of that bike ride. 1943 Roadster BICYCLE shirt front LSD Fractal BICYCLE shirt back [...]