I don’t know whether to ride on Kara Ginther’s custom bike saddles or display them in a gallery–and fittingly, her designs have been put to both uses. By meticulously hand-tooling Brooks leather saddles, the choice of discerning bikers from slouching hipsters to tweed-clad dandies, Ginther rides that fine line between art, craft, and style. Here are some of my favorite works from her Flickr stream.
A trio of strikingly different designs:
A nautical-themed commission in which “I had a lot of fun playing with waves and water,” notes Ginther:
A paisley-style design for Ahren Rogers, owner of Banjo Cycles in Madison, Wisconsin:
This holiday pattern was “inspired by Scandinavian sweaters and toasty nights by the fire,” according to Ginther:
This fancy folk-style saddle “was commissioned to be a display piece,” notes Ginther. “I wouldn’t usually put this much color on a saddle that was to be seriously ridden.”
A fleur-de-lis and other floral designs dress up a herringbone pattern in this striking black saddle:
Finally, here’s where the magic happens. This is Ginther in her studio in Madison:
(Thanks, Bike Hugger.)
Source: Kara Ginther
Images copyright Kara Ginther, courtesy of the artist.
