Bicycle Face

Bicycle Face derives its name from an infamous “medical condition” fabricated by doctors in the 1890s. Its origin? Victorian England. Its symptoms? Clenched jaw, pale face, aura of self-sufficiency… Its target? Women. Bicycle-riding women. Unruly, unattractive, unladylike, bicycle-riding women.

Written for chamber ensemble and featuring a functioning bicycle as its percussion source, Bicycle Face is led by two “cyclists,” who take us on a metaphorical journey: discovering the joys and freedoms of cycling, facing patriarchal barriers that seek to rob them of this newfound liberation, and ultimately overcoming it all by pedaling onwards. This work intends to shed light on the serious topic of deeply-ingrained misogyny through the less-than-serious lens of a ridiculous—yet true—story. It seeks to remind us of the resilience and strength women have demonstrated time and time again throughout history, whenever faced with unfair obstacles along their path to independence and equality.