Foundations of Style Series by Pat Fisher

Pat Fisher told us about a new project he's working on. It's a website called imprimature BMX focusing on in-depth and substantive publications regarding BMX culture and politics:

I just published the fourth of five articles in my “Foundations of Style” series, which is as relevant to flatland as it is any other discipline of BMX. Its purpose is to provide a roadmap for the development of new riding styles, arguing that hating on the “clones” for not “thinking outside of the box” is not only insufficient, but that it fundamentally fails to follow its own advice. Rather, the series argues that we must address the social and material relations of BMX to question why it is that only a narrow range of riding styles are rewarded with the support they need to flourish. This leads us to an analysis of how competitions function in relation to the emergence of new disciplines (Issue #2 – Our Competitions), how historic trends in BMX demographics have ended up limiting our riding styles and values (Issue #3 – Our Bodies), how various groups of riders and the alternative styles they develop have been marginalized from BMX due to their socioeconomic status and the equipment they use (Issue #4 – Our Machines), and finally how our riding styles constitute different ways of not only using – but seeing – space (Issue #5 – Our Landscapes). Each article analysis an aspect of BMX’s current situation, providing tools with which to give concrete support to its future evolution.

Again, the first four issues are available now at www.imprimaturbmx.com, with the fifth and final article to be published next Sunday. There is also a podcast version of Issue #1 for those who prefer audio over text (issues four through five will be added later), which is available at https://soundcloud.com/buildinggnarnia … - Pat Fisher

Alright, you are thinking that this is a little bit deep? You are a right, it is! We already have plenty of not so very deep media so this is a great effort to look at BMX from a different angle. Imprimature is inviting everyone to be part of the discussion and submit their own thoughts.