While we often admire well-constructed cars as feats of engineering, what about those that transcend into remarkable works of art? These are the cars that pique our curiosity and ignite our imagination. In this article, we delve into the most famous artworks that feature automobiles, exploring the reasons behind their enduring appeal. Get ready to be captivated!
- Concrete Traffic – Wolf Vostell
Vostell described the cement molding of this Cadillac as “fast occurring,” and it represented a significant part of the design as the completed piece. The painting was executed in 1970 as an element of a project for the Chicago Museum of Contemporary Art and is now displayed in a business parking lot.
It remained in place until many months later when the accumulation of parking tickets commenced. Afterwards, it was given to the University of Chicago, where it is being kept in the primary parking structure. In addition to exploring the material’s possibilities as a tool for creativity, Concrete Traffic uses cement as a metaphor for roadblocks.
- Clothed Automobiles – Salvador Dali
Another creative individual who did not drive very often, Dali painted, collaged, and created installations with cars in many of them. He wraps Cadillacs in exquisite textiles for his assemblages titled “Wrapped Automobiles.”
He arranged two mannequins in an automobile with lettuce, chicory, and snails for “Rainy Taxi,” but that’s not all. In addition, he installed a gigantic bronze figure instead of the hood decoration and rigged up an assortment of pipes to simulate precipitation inside the car.
- Speeding automobile – Giacomo Balla
Giacomo believed that the car represented the height of modernization and was influenced by Filippo Tommaso Marinetti, the originator of futuristic ideas. Balla’s canvases in the late 1880s were representative of the period, but by 1910, he had discovered his true passion: abstract painting.
His focus was on attempting to graphically depict the shifting motions of cars rather than attempting to capture their exact form. This was demonstrated in artworks such as “Velocity of Cars and Light” and “Ritmo + rumore + velocità d’automobile” (Rhythm + noise + car speed).
- Trabi – Birgit Kinder
Despite having only been drawn in 1990 for the first time, “Trabi” has already become ingrained in tradition. Kinder’s artwork of a Trabant bursting through the Berlin Wall, which was executed on a piece of the Wall that remained, constitutes one of the most instantly identifiable paintings from the East Side Gallery. It is the ideal combination of aesthetic statement and canvas.
Which one seems appealing? Let us know in the comment section below!
