ART CARS

According to Wikipedia, an art car "is a vehicle that has had its appearance modified as an act of personal artistic expression". Car Art became really popular in the 1960's with those psychedelic painted VW Hippie vans, which were the owner's expressions of the new anti-establishment renaissance of art, music, thought, spirituality and political beliefs of that period. Do you remember seeing pictures of John Lennon's famous Paisley Rolls Royce?

"Cartists" and Art Car Fest

The creators and owners of these art cars often refer to themselves as "cartists". One of the most famous of these "cartists" is Harrod Blank, founder of the Art Car Agency and co-founder, together with Philo Northrup, of an event known as Art Car Fest, which features these amazing automotive works of art on wheels. Friends of mine, Kitty Wells and Frank Schwartz of Redwood City, invited me to attend the kick off of Art Car Fest last Friday night, which was held at the Lawrence Hall of Science in the Berkeley hills above the UC campus. Art Car Fest is an annual event held in September. This year Art Car Fest was held September 27-30th traveling through San Francisco, Berkeley, San Jose and Santa Cruz, California.

The Birth of the "Love Duv"

I was delighted to be given the opportunity to view some of these art cars, especially since I have been closely involved with the fine tuning, preparation and eventual post-Burning Man clean-up of the "Love Duv", an art car which is Kitty and Frank's concept and creation. The "Love Duv", in its ever evolving glory, is well known and well loved at the Burning Man event held in Nevada every September - an event which draws up to 50,000 people!

As we drove up to Berkeley, I asked Frank what inspired him to take their old Hyundai and transform it into the "Love Duv". "Well, in 2003 the Burning Man theme was "The Floating World". During the Fashion Show, Kitty was carried onto the stage in a palanquin (a covered sedan chair, or litter, on 4 poles) by four male bearers. This palanquin was named the "Kitty Litter" in keeping with the humor and originality of the theme. This was fun, but hard on the bearers in the heat, and we decided that the following year we would transform our old Hyundai into a vehicle representing a moving temple of love and peace befitting the transportation of Goddesses. We wanted the Goddesses to be able to ride on a motorized palanquin".

Kitty and Frank began by painting the car and decorating it with stencils of mythical figures inspired by photos they had taken in the temples of South East Asia.
"Next, we assembled a group of friends to weld the top carriage and construct the "Duv". We carved clouds and flames out of wood, painted them, bolted them and riveted them onto the car. We invited guest artists to work on different aspects of the "Love Duv", and I designed and implemented a complicated electrical system of el-wire and black light to highlight the best features of the "Love Duv". I learned a lot from Foo (a.k.a. Fiber Optic Oddity), whose Glowing Mushroom art car was one of the most amazing illuminated art cars to grace the "Burning Man" Playa. Art cars have a different presence at night and lighting is a very important part of the overall effect". Indeed, the "Love Duv" always gets very positive reactions, both from other drivers on the highway, the public and fellow artists at events. The kids go wild and immediately want to climb on to the palanquin on top. "At Burning Man we can carry up to six passengers, and often give people rides" said Frank. "This year, we added to the welded structure to support the stupa and black lights, and the "Love Duv" became even more of a temple on wheels. Several people come up to pay homage - actually bow to the Duv - especially people from South East Asia. All those appreciative reactions and the fun we have with the Duv are what make all the hard work worthwhile".

Art Cars: Classifications and Creations

From concept to creation, art cars can be transformed from everyday vehicles into moveable works of art using various different methods. The most simple method begins with painting, and these art cars are classified as "predominantly painted". Many cartists also collect small objects that are applied with glue, and these cars, sometimes known as "glueys", are painted and glued - an older, original style of art car. A car I spotted in Seattle this Spring, created by Kitty Lyles, and which I call the "Kittymobile", is painted with a leopard print, has hundreds of different kinds of cats glued all over it, and even a tail hanging from the back! Purr-fect! There are many other "glueys" including a car covered in buttons, one in mirrors, and one in corks arranged in a very pretty mosaic design.

Then there is a "conceptual sculptural" class of art car, which Burning Man "cartists" describe as a "mutant vehicle" i.e. a vehicle of which the original structure can no longer be recognized. I have seen vehicles in this class of art car that represented every day objects like a giant red high heeled shoe, a banana, a telephone, a turtle and a Radio Flyer - all drivable!

Then we have the "audience interactive" art cars. The best example I saw of this at the kick-off Art Car Fest party, is an old Volvo onto which the "cartist" has bolted 250 plastic singing and dancing fish and lobsters and titled it "The Sashimi Tabernacle Choir". I talked to creator Richard Carter from Huston, Texas, who told me that he used 2 computers, over 200 pounds of batteries and five miles of control system wire to build and operate this fishy vehicle which performs everything from Opera to Pop to Punk Rock. The public is invited to sing along with the choir, and I did not see a straight face anywhere, as everyone there enjoyed participating in this uniquely hilarious experience.

An even more complex form of art car, the "combo" class, incorporates many of the aforementioned applications, as well as the use of Bondo and spray foam to form sculptured effects like wings and flames. In addition, all manner of larger objects can be bolted, screwed, riveted and welded on to these vehicular art creations. Lighting and sound effects are achieved by using el-wire, Xmas lights, Neon tubes and speakers that can be plugged into the cigarette lighter or powered by batteries stored in the trunk.

Art Cars: Events and Information

Transforming your car, bicycle, motorbike, truck or minivan into an art car can be a lot of fun and a hobby which can also involve family and friends. An art car can be a unique concept, a political statement, an extension of your personality and identity, or just a beautiful piece of functional art. There are numerous events and car festivals where you can enter your art car, or just go to admire the creations of other "cartists". The next large upcoming art car festival and parade I saw advertised on the internet is put on by the Orange Show Center for Visionary Art, and will be coming up again in Houston on May 10th 2008. For more information and fabulous pictures of art cars, I have listed this event and some other interesting websites under "Resources"

So, think twice before donating that old car or sending it to the scrap yard - you could be "America's Next Car Artist"! That might the next reality show...they already showcase tattoo artists on "Miami Ink" after all!