Article: Art on Wheels

I really can't believe that anyone could consider this art. Anyone can glue things to cars. All these people are doing is messing up some good old classics.

I think art cars are a wonderful expression of Art. If you have ever been to an art car parade you might agree. How many "Smiles per gallon" does your car get?

Most art cars are not made from classics. Old VW Bugs & Buses are used a lot. A lot of art cars would be in the junk yard if their owner hadn't decorated them for the enjoyment of others.

Dave in Kansas

Just because "anyone can" glue things to a car, or whatever, doesn't mean it's not an art form - the car being a blank canvas. (Not to be confused with Harrod Blank). Ha... Objects can be carefully chosen and arranged as a sculptural "collage."

And, just because you may not like it, doesn't mean it's then "not art." I've heard some say that "anyone" could throw paint at a canvas like Jackson Pollack (the famous abstract expressionist artist). What I say to a person like this is: Well, you didn't make that painting, and he did! And by gosh, his paintings sell for millions of dollars, are in many big museums, and some people in fact, like them!

I think some people are just too close-minded and critical of things that are different.

Tim McNally
(who "ruined" a perfectly good 1985 Buick SkyHawk, Ha, Ha!)
and who is currently defacing a "classic" 2005 Honda Civic!

Hooray for the article on art cars! (Although you have Harrod's movie title wrong--it's "Wild Wheels" not "Wild Tracks") I have a car I've painted w/ cartoons about my iguanas + I've glued hundreds of plastic lizards to it. Seeing as I'm a new vet tech who plans to work in iguana rescue someday, I welcome the conversation it produces. At a filling station, a little boy once even gave me his plastic lizard for the car!

To me, it's a wonderful means of self-expression (I didn't drive prior to purchasing my '94 Toyota in '02--I only bought a car so I could decorate it!) and meeting folks wherever you go.

Thanks for the spotlight, Harrod (and so many others) are American originals!

I enjoyed the article and the cars shown. Just one correction, though. Dave McNally's "Plaidmobile" is a Buick SkyHawk, not a Buick Skylark. They are two completely different models. Dave's car, aside from the plaid, of course, reminds me of the dark red '84 SkyHawk I owned, bought new with money saved up from my first job out of college.

I should know that the Plaidmobile is indeed a 1985 Buick SkyHawk, since I am TIM McNally and it has been my car for about 16 years. I started painting it plaid in 1995. It had 34,000 miles when I bought it used in '91 for $2,000. It now has over 200,000 miles on it and is on its second engine and transmission (manual 4 speed). It is registered with the NJ State Motor Vehicle Commision as being the color "Plaid".

DAVE Major is the Dave in the article. Dave McNally was a pitcher for the Baltimore Orioles '62-'74 (retired with the Monteal Expos in '75). Sometimes there are little mix-ups in communication. It's fine and understandable.

However, from experience, I have noticed that reporters, no how much you make it clear to them, about what the facts are, have their own ideas about what is true. The Buick Skylark is better known I think, so perhaps assumptions are made ("It must be a Skylark, because whoever heard of a SkyHawk").

Likewise, Emily Duffy did not create the MondrianMobile as a tribute to Mondrian. She created it to poke fun at him and her art school professors; to make fun of "the cold unemotional, sterile, high-art, male, intellectual snobbery" she was experiencing at art school. (-Emily Duffy in Harrod Blank's book "Art Cars: the cars artists, the obsession, the craft") She says that it's kind of funny that most people think it's a tribute to Mondrian.

Anyway, mistakes and all, I'm glad so many appear to have enjoyed the art cars article.

For those interested in seeing art cars in person, check this web site for an art car event near you!
http://www.artcarcalendar.com

Tim Klein
Dallas, Texas
http://www.yarncar.com

Houston has the world’s oldest and largest Art Car Parade, sponsored by the Orange Show Center for Visionary Art. There is also an Art Car Museum. Check out their web sites at http://www.orangeshow.org/artcar.html and http://www.artcarmuseum.com.

I got myself involved in Art Cars back in 2000 when I hosted my first 'Mutant Vehicle Social' for Art Car artists and Burning Man artists. I had the privilege of meeting Harrod Blank that year and have been amazed ever since with his outstanding achievements.

It was funny today my sister knowing my interest in 'Classic Cars' thought I may be interested in 'Art Cars' too and sent me the link to this article. I laughed and enjoyed sharing that Harrod is a great friend to me, to everyone in the art community and beyond...

Its really cool how far an article can go to reach people...I hope that people read the article and explore this alternate reality of art cars which anyone can participate in on a daily basis just by doing something a little different to their car. Once you get started you will never go back. If you need more inspiration you will need to check out his movies...they are great! There was a sneak preview of Automorphosis a couple weekends ago in Reno and the theater was packed with all ages...kids were laughing adults were in awe.

Note: I bought a 59 Ranchero, "Nameless" with the thoughts of making her into an 'Art Car' but decided she is unique as it is and will save the art car for another project http://59ranchero.blogspot.com/ But I can't wait till I take her on a road trip to Harrod's Art Car World in Douglas, AZ http://artcarworld.org/ where Art Cars go to find a second life and where I will go south of the border for a Margarita too. Long live Art Cars!! Jeanavive - TheNetworkGirl http://www.networkgirl.com
TheNetworkGirl

**sorry for the cross-post.