Brakesy, real name Andy Atkinson, has been drawing and painting motorbikes, particularly racing motorbikes, since he was a schoolboy. Born in Stockton on Tees in Northeast England in 1963, Andy, at the age of 13, watched a TV documentary about Barry Sheene and his infamous Daytona crash, and was immediately entranced by the speed, sound, smell, colour and sheer adrenaline rush of this high-octane sport. Already excelling in Art at school (he took his O level a year early and passed with an A grade), he subsequently channelled his artistic endeavours into motorbike racing and has been doing so ever since.

Andy’s two interests, Art and motorbike racing, developed into a passion, and then to an obsession, which resulted in him pursuing a racing career himself from 1984-93. Racing at club and then National championship level (including a round here at Carnaby in 1988) provided him with the experience and senses overload that he felt desperate to incorporate into his artwork. 

Trying to invoke a sense of synaesthesia and emotion within his works, Andy is wanting the observer to be transported to the scene and moment, feeling the vibration of the handlebars, the scream of the exhausts, the smell of burnt fuel, the slide of the tyres and the sheer adrenaline pumping through the rider. He feels affinity with the racing era of the 80’s/90’s and the two-stroke machines which dominated, still owning a Honda RS 125 race bike like the last he raced in 1993.

Andy’s impressive portfolio of work includes the official event posters for Oliver’s Mount and the comic strip Bikesport Bob which ran in BikeSport News between 2000 and 2004.

We have a selection of Andy’s prints for sale, both framed and unframed, as well as a stunning original entitled Queue For The Cafe. We also have a number of Andy’s works from our own collection proudly displayed around the shop, including the panoramic print Assen ‘78 which is a big feature of our Kenny Roberts & Barry Sheene area.