In the middle—offset toward the west facing windows—of the small, but mostly empty, Mission 17 gallery is a shinny-new, black and chrome, unquestionably beautifully made, two-headed bicycle.

Like a mirror image the two sets of handle bars and front wheel are pointed in opposite directions. The third wheel, the rear wheel, is shared. It is a mechanical contradiction that is both well deigned and flawlessly fabricated.

The bi-bicycle is the latest effort from the collaborative duo leonardogillesfleur entitled Irreconcilable Differences and it is meant to embody the inherent difficulties of collaboration and highlight the uselessness of art objects. To me the piece is wholly symbolic on both counts, but it's only the allusion to conflicts that arise from the collaborative process that bugs me.

The components of Irreconcilable Differences: the altered bicycle and accompanying image of the artists trying to ride it are so polished that they do not betray the slightest hint of conflict or struggle in the pair's relationship. More specifically there is no evidence of the negotiations that took place in bringing the idea for "irreconcilable differences" to fruition—no miscommunication, compromise, trust, or confluence evident in the work.

Instead there is a harmonious, unified and immaculate object—apparently never ridden except for the one image (which comes off more as a promo shot than an earnest attempt to use their creation). This could be the sign of a successful collaboration, but to me it is a missed opportunity as neither the altered bicycle nor its use work to illuminate the nature of collaboration.

Irreconcilable Differences will be on view through October 15th, 2005.

http://www.mission17.com/