A colorful illustration of a bicycle in profile, featuring a bright green frame and yellow rims with red spokes. The handlebars are equipped with brown tape grips. The background is a vivid orange wash, creating a dynamic contrast with the bicycle. The artist's signature and date are visible in the bottom corner.

Greg Curnoe, Mariposa T.T. #3, 1978, watercolour on paper. SFU Art Collection. Gift of Edward Gibson, 2008. 

SFU Galleries
A colorful illustration of a bicycle in profile, featuring a bright green frame and yellow rims with red spokes. The handlebars are equipped with brown tape grips. The background is a vivid orange wash, creating a dynamic contrast with the bicycle. The artist's signature and date are visible in the bottom corner.

Title

Mariposa T.T. #3

Artist

Greg Curnoe

Year

1978

Medium

Watercolour on paper

Collection

SFU Art Collection

Donor

Gift of Edward Gibson

Year Acquired

2008

Mariposa T.T. #3 reflects Greg Curnoe’s long-standing interest in cycling and bicycle design. The work depicts a Mariposa time trial bicycle, capturing its precise mechanical structure and aerodynamic form. Curnoe uses bright, transparent colours and clean lines to emphasize the bike's geometry and visual rhythm. 
 
This painting is part of a larger series in which the artist focused on his own custom-built Mariposa bicycles. Rather than treating the bicycle as a static object, he presents it as a subject of personal interest and daily life. Mariposa T.T. #3 highlights Curnoe’sblend of technical accuracy and artistic observation, showing his close attention to the details of form, function, and design. 

Artists

Greg Curnoe (1936–1992) was a Canadian painter and cultural activist known for his vibrant, text-infused works that celebrated everyday life and championed Canadian identity. Born and raised in London, Ontario, Curnoe was a central figure in the London Regionalism movement, which emphasized local experience over metropolitan trends. Rejecting the art scenes of Toronto and New York, he established Region magazine and the Region Gallery in the early 1960s, and co-founded the Forest City Gallery in 1973. 
 
In 1976, Curnoe represented Canada at the Venice Biennale, and in 1981, he had a major retrospective at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts. His work is held in numerous major public and private collections, including the National Gallery of Canada and the Art Gallery of Ontario. 
 
Tragically, Curnoe's life was cut short in 1992 when he was killed in a bicycle accident near Strathroy, Ontario while riding with the London Centennial Wheelers club.