Scorpio Rising (again)

The black leather jacket has been the siren of cool for
decades. As some or you know I ride a Sportster Harley Davidson and that means
I get to hang out in the biker world from time to time. This involves a lot of cruising about in the
sun and going on long trip to buy petrol.  Spain is a good place to do this and the
groups of bikers who congregate here are the same the world over, so is their apparel. Although here in the heat, they do tend to rip off their sleeves, but the colours and the back patches
still blaze out.
Leather jackets were first made in the standard issue sense as
protective warmth for pilots in World War 1. 
It was a logical step for the long jackets to be shortened and adapted
with wind-fighting belts, buckles and asymmetrical zips for motorcyclists and
they made it part of their identity ever since.  I am investigating, with this work, the biker
jacket as a form of armour, the individual identities of the wearers is also
very clear. They are like charm bracelets for bikers in many ways. Interesting
too are the performance and stage jackets worn by musicians and actors, they
are like magic cloaks, but in the same way a biker wears his jacket to afford
some element of invincibility, so too does the performer.