Grace Roselli is a Brooklyn-based artist, photographer and motorcyclist. Her current work, The Naked Bike Project and Protective Gear Series, are results of mixing those passions. Roselli’s purpose is to explore how women riders fit into, and are perceived by, society with and without their “protective gear.”
(Fair warning, some of the art featured in this video could be considered NSFW.)
“When a woman rides, she’s quite genderless: much protective motorcycle gear obscures the female form and this sets the context for the way the observer interacts with the subject,” Roselli explains.
“The images, simultaneously provocative and natural, allow each rider to be herself on her own terms as a fearless individual. These are women at their most raw, while still at their most empowered and beautiful– providing fresh perspectives on this independent and diverse group of women riders and their beloved machines.”
Roselli has a BFA from the Rhode Island School of Design and was awarded the RISD scholarship to the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture. Upon graduating with honors, she was awarded a residency with the Empire State Studio program in New York City.
A hundred years since the Van Buren sisters became the first women to cross the country on motorbikes, female motorcycle ownership is at an all-time high. Women riders continue to celebrate their individuality while challenging stereotypes, and the motorcycle industry finally seems to be embracing the woman rider as an important and marketable demographic. Hopefully it’s the beginning of a provocative and culture-shifting ride.
You can see Roselli’s work on her website (again, art that could be considered NSFW) and Instagram. Or if you’re near New York, you might see some of her work hanging up at Spiegel NYC.
Corinna Mantlo has spent over a decade riding motorcycles and working in the industry. She is the founder and curator of Cine Meccanica, and a published authority on two-wheeled cinema. She is also the founder of The Miss-Fires, The Motorcycle Film Festival and the owner of Via Meccanica, a custom upholstery shop specializing in motorcycle seats.