American Visionary Art Museum - Art Cars! (original) (raw)

An art car usually begins its life as an older or used vehicle (car, truck, van, bus, jeep, golf cart, etc.). The owner of the car decides that he/she wants to alter the car, not necessarily converting what's under the hood, but instead transforming the exterior/interior of the car. To what degree and how this transformation is made is entirely up to the imagination, skills, and resources of the art car artist.

There are a variety of ways to make an art car:

Some people approach the alteration of their cars cautiously and tentatively, opting to use materials of a temporary nature, such as paper and tape.

Some are satisfied with the original shape of the car and decide to simply paint it, treating the vehicle as though it were a canvas.

Some people glue thousands of similar or dissimilar objects to their car

Some decide to radically change the original structure of the vehicle so that it in effect becomes a moving sculpture - some use a destructive approach, removing things from the outside of their cars, exposing the inside.

and others employ a totally radical approach, removing the existing frame and building their car a brand new frame.

Jay Battenfield transformed a 1963 Corvair with over 160,000 gemstones, jewels, beads, and "chingaroos" as a tribute to his wife Jean who was killed in an auto accident in 1980. As word of his jewelled car traveled, scores of people sent him their own memorabilia.

"You take your problems and fasten them to something, and you get rid of them." - Jay Battenfield.

Creating an art car can be quite an undertaking, so we gathered up some tips and techniques used by the best art car artists to give you a head start:

	Cars are powerful icons in our society. There are endless ways to take advantage of that . . . .
	Car companies want you to buy new expensive cars. They spends loads of money trying to convince you that "you are what you drive." Oh yeah? Use this dogma to create your one-of-a-kind art car design.
	Consider what your goal is in creating this piece of art. If you want to be seen from a distance, use bold shapes, bright colors, and wild imagery. Fluorescent colors attract quite a bit of attention. If you want people to discover your car, keep the design subtle.
	When deciding how you will transform your car, consider its shape, style, and detailing. Some cars make great flat canvases. Others just ask to be sculpted. Spend a bit of time with your car, and get to "know your car." An artist who recognizes and works with the original shapes and lines of the cars yields an even more beautiful creation.
	Consider using exaggerated scaled, repetition, and dramatic color to highlight your design.
	Costuming for the driver and passengers can be an effective part of your presentation.
	Consider using props, sound, light, and maybe even smell as your design your car's personality.

Building an Art Car can be a fun project for both individuals and as class projects! Download this PDF file to get started.

( these files require Adobe Reader, a free program available for downloading from www.adobe.com)