BMW Art Cars

[bolide]

Went to Shoreditch on Friday for the ICA Art Drive! exhibition of BMW Art Cars. I have always wanted to photograph the Art Cars and there they were - in a concrete multistorey car park! A tough environment to work in but appropriate in many ways

The Art Cars started with Hervé Poulain and Alexander Calder. Poulain had the idea of painting a car and asked his friend Calder, a renowned sculptor and created of mobiles, to take on the commission. To find a suitable car, Jean Todt referred them to Jochen Neerpasch, head of BMW Motorsport, and the Art Car series was born. Calder's design was implemented by BMW bodywork specialist Walter Maurer and the car raced at the Le Mans 24-Hour Race in 1975

A favourite of mine is the 1976 Graph Paper car of Frank Stella. The car is a BMW 3.0 CSL so the basic shape, in racing trim, is outrageous

Star of the show for me is the Roy Lichtenstein BMW 320 race car shown below. It seems to capture the essence of the Art Cars with sheer dynamism and brio. It finished 9th at the Le Mans 24-Hour Race in 1977

I admit I was surprised how effective the Andy Warhol M1 is. He painted it with a 4" brush and pots of Sikkens enamel and the finish is diabolical. Which matters not at all...

The first photos are online now with a few more to follow

BMW Art Cars in Shoreditch
2012 BMW Art Cars in Shoreditch | Bolide

Nick Froome
Bolide | Historic cars, motorsport & more…

 

[GordonTarling]

Aaaargghhh! My eyes hurt!

 

[WDB124066]

Nice site!!

 

[Red C220]

I have to say to you put the image of my favourite above. I like Roy Lichenstein pop art so that's right up my street.

The original Calder car though is also fantastic.

 

[st4]

BMW's....I hate them....

LOL!!!!

 

[gaz_l]

I have to say that Andy Warhol car looks crap and a waste of a good M1..

Cheers,

Gaz

 

[markjay]

Very nice site, thanks.

There will be plenty more canvas out there for any amateur car artists when LOCOG auction all those nearly-new 320d and 520d in one week's time...

 

[bolide]

I have to say that Andy Warhol car looks crap and a waste of a good M1..

It's said to be the most valuable BMW in the world...

Nick Froome

 

[MBhowden]

My son's girlfriend works for the company that set the exhibition up, siad it was great, but then she would!

I believe there is one by David Hockney too.

 

[BillyW124]

Took a stroll down there last week as its 5 mins from work.

That Andy Warhol painted BM is worth a supposedly 5m