Biker Generation

20 years of motorcycle photography
by Michael Lichter

This eye-catching exhibit showcases 26 fine-art photographs of motorcycles and their riders, gathered over two decades by commercial artist Michael Lichter. Called "Biker Generation," the exhibit features images that transcend the machines and riders depicted, revealing intriguing personalities and lifestyles.

Lichter began taking pictures when he was 13 years old, thanks to the loan of a World War II-era Pentacon camera from his father. Photography quickly became his passion, and after high school he went off to live with a group of 11 other photographers at Apeiron Workshops, a "photo farm" in Millerton, NY.  Lichter then moved to Colorado, where he majored in Fine Arts at the University of Colorado in Boulder.

In 1982, he opened his own photography studio in Boulder. The studio proved successful, and commercial work, including two cookbooks, numerous annual reports and many product shots, became the bulk of his business. "Biker Generation" marks Lichter's return to exhibiting and selling his motorcycle photography – something he has not done in almost 20 years.

Lichter's motorcycle photographs first appeared in Easyriders magazine in the early 1980s, three years after he gave up his career as a bebop drummer and took up riding. His first major assignments took him to the Sturgis, Laconia and Daytona rallies aboard his customized 1971 Harley-Davidson Shovelhead. Although many of his subsequent motorcycle-themed works have focused on specific bikes, Lichter has returned to capture the spirit of the "The Big Three" many times over the years.

Today, the photographer can claim more than 600 published stories on motorcycles and motorcycling, including sixty magazine covers. His images have been exhibited at the Gallery of Photography in Dublin, Ireland; the Apex Gallery and the Journey Museum in Rapid City, South Dakota; the Belknap Mill Gallery in Laconia, New Hampshire; the DCPA galleries in Denver, Colorado; and the Jan Bachman Gallery in Boulder, Colorado. His work resides in both public and private collections, including those of the Harley-Davidson Motor Company; Bibliotheque Nationale de France; Atlantic Richfield Company; and the Bellview (Washington) Art Museum.

"Biker Generation: 20 Years of Motorcycle Photography by Michael Lichter" was on display at the Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum through October 1, 2002.

Related Story: Michael Lichter on 'Biker Generation'