Keanu Reeves’ Art & Speed book overview (part 2)

We can continue with science fiction which is another literary genre that Keanu loves. There are several films linked to it. The first author whose works were adapted was Philip K. Dick. Fantastic stories such as Scanner Darkly and The Matrix are credited to Philip K. Dick. The Matrix became a blockbuster, eventually resulting in the Trilogy. And after 17 years since the Matrix first appeared on the big screen, The Matrix Resurrections came to life. Keanu explained why he finds Philip K. Dick’s stories so compelling. You can read the answer in Art & Speed.

What about music?

Music is not missing from the book as an art form, not least because Keanu is one of the founding members of the band Dogstar and after a few years away the band is back together and working on a new record. Bill & Ted’s funny stories are also connected to music. Boys Bill (Alex Winter) and Ted (Keanu Reeves) played in a rock band called the Wyld Stallyns. The third story entitled Bill & Ted Face the Music, released in 2020, a comedy about seeking a song which will bring harmony in the universe. Generations who watched the first two episodes years ago felt nostalgic.

A picture is worth a thousand words

A picture is worth a thousand words, as the saying goes. This is a thousand times truer for works of fine art. Here we could say that Keanu’s films are not tied to a painting or a sculpture, so there is no reason to mention this art form. But this would be a big mistake. It’s not the films, but Keanu Reeves himself who is attached to paintings and likes to visit museums and galleries. This is also discussed in the fine art section. But one film is still mentioned in this section. Which one and why? I won’t tell you. If you are interested, you can find out from the book Art & Speed.

Ode to Happiness and Shadows

It was a great pleasure to get my hands on the art books Ode to Happiness and Shadows, collaborations between Keanu Reeves and Alexandra Grant. I am one of the lucky owners of both books. Keanu and Alexandra were kind enough to sign them for me at the book signing. Art is a wonderful thing: it connects us and we can understand each other no matter where we live in the world or what our cultural backgrounds are. Both books are available to buy in online book shops.

In the first picture I’m holding the Shadows book. I think you can see that I appreciate this art book. And the book signing of Ode to Happiness, which you see on the other photo. Sorry, the quality is not so good, but the photos are all the more valuable to me. One chapter introduces X Artists’ Books, founded in 2017 by Alexandra Grant, Keanu Reeves, Jessica Fleischmann (Designer) and Florence Grant (editor). I ordered the books published in the first year, they are true works of art. I couldn’t miss the Noa Noa reading at the Paul Gauguin exhibition at the Reihen museum in Switzerland in February 2015. Honestly, this is one of my favourite chapters of Art & Speed. It is well worth a read.

Keanu and martial arts

Perhaps the hardest part of the book for me was to put together the martial arts section. There was no question that it should be mentioned, as it plays an important role in several Keanu Reeves movies, such as in The Matrix, Man of Tai Chi, 47 Ronin and the John Wick sequel. What I learned was that it’s good to remember the original purpose of oriental martial arts is not to kill, but increase your strength and flexibility and build your endurance, using the body and mind. What types of martial arts appear in these films and how did Keanu learn them? You can read about it in the book Art & Speed.

Keanu and speed

As the title suggests, Keanu’s passion is not only art but also speed. He loves motorcycles and wanted a motorcycle that was beautiful and that met all the requirements to make speed a real experience, not only for him, but for everyone who rides; it’s not just a simple ride, but a feeling of intangible freedom, a real feeling of fully alive. The ARCH motorcycles designed by Keanu Reeves and Gard Hollinger are such artistic creations. I wasn’t a big fan of motorbikes before, but since ARCH bikes have been around, I’d like to try one myself.

These are the topics covered in the book Art & Speed. As Keanu Reeves’ success story is not over yet, I’m sure he will have many interesting adventures related to art and speed, so I want to continue this journey in the future. Blog posts will definitely be on the website, of which I will send you information in the newsletter.