HANDMADE IS BETTER MADE - meet Dave Buonaguidi
By GARETH CHARLTON - 26 Nov 21
You meet the best people on Motorcycles... After a chance encounter at a North London petrol station it was inevitable that Dutch and Dave, aka @realhackneydave would get up to no good together - or plenty of good, depending on your angle...
Dave ended up joining us for our first Paris event back in 2013, slinging Art, ogling the machinery and making friends with all the locals. We had an absolute ball and the very night we wrapped the event, Dave put pen to paper for his iconic BSMC Handmade is Better Made design. The artwork was in Dutch's inbox before we set foot back in London.
With all the hard work behind our LA venue finally coming together we felt the Handmade is Better Made design and the sentiment behind it was long overdue a rebirth. But this being Dave, a simple reprint and T-shirt drop was never going to cut it... "Let's print 'em with my motorcycle!" of course Dave, why the bloody hell not.
We caught up with Dave after his epic Motorcycle Pulled Print Night at our Shoreditch HQ to ask him some questions and try get some answers from the man. Cheers Dave.
Who are you / where are you based / what do you do?
My name is Dave Buonaguidi, I am a printmaker artist working in Hackney in London.
How did you get started in your craft?
I have always worked in the "creative" field, having had a previous career in advertising. The problem with advertising is that it's not very creative, and I did a lot of art on the side. After 30 years I decided to end my days as an artist after I did a one-day print workshop at Printclublondon.
How did you get involved with or meet BSMC and what have you got up to together?
I have always been a petrol head and telly in the 60's and 70's was all about Americana, custom cars, muscles cars, dirty bikes and oily fingers. I built a custom bike with the RYCA kit, years ago and just by chance bumped into Dutch at a petrol station on the Holloway road, he is the only person I have ever known who recognised the bike. Boom. Instant connection. I love the custom scene and was lucky enough to sell my prints at the first big London show, and then the Paris show and since then I do live printing at the shows.
What are your favourite pieces you have created and what are you working on at the minute...
Once I'm finished with a piece, I want to move on, but I would say the 8ft LOVE BOMB piece I did in the summer was fun. A real 1000lb General purpose bomb standing on its nose, in gloss gold. It was painful, expensive, idiotic, terrifying and fun to do. What more do you need?
What bike do you currently own?
I've got a dirty custom hardtail Harley sportster. Pure filth. Perfect for a spot of screen printing.
What was your favourite bike?
I've had loads of bikes, all sorts, but I'm very happy with the current one.
What is your dream machine?
That red De Bolex race bike is gorgeous. Two please.
Cue gratuitous De Bolex pic...
Cheers Dave