Point Park News Service-James Simon By Allie Wynands

By Allie Wynands ~ Point Park News Service

James Simon takes a sip of his sweet orange tea and places his mug back into a cereal bowl functioning as a makeshift coaster. The native Pittsburgh artist then offers a metaphor for his life by retrieving a primitive sculpture made when he was 15 - "Motorcycle Man," a swirly black and white ceramic man wearing safety goggles, riding a motorcycle decorated with peace signs. Sweet orange tea steeps within a ceramic mug James Simon made, sitting atop his coffee table.
Photo by Allie Wynands.

The sculpture, about as large as piggy bank, may have been inspired by the popular movie of that time, Easy Rider, Simon said, but looking at it now - he believes it's a symbol for his passion of traveling and creating art. The motorcycle man is cruising along a hot, Australian asphalt road, ready to take on the world.