Ford Festiva Crushed Art Car - Still life with stone and car

Festiva Crushed Art Car - Still life with stone and car

"Still life with stone and car", was created by Arkansas-born and Berlin-based artist  Jimmie Durham who dropped a mammoth 3 ton rock onto an unsuspecting 1999 Ford Festiva hatchback rock art car.

They used a crane to hoist, then drop the rock onto to the art carand then it was moved to final resting place, a roundabout in Walsh Bay Sidney, Australia for an outdoor sculpture display in 2004.

In the article I read it says that he and he wife went looking for the prefect art car for sale at a local car dealership. They went looking for a small sedan - or possibly a hatchback, preferably Australian-made, and definitely red; somewhere between $5000 and $10,000, and capable of supporting a two-ton rock dropped on its roof. Can you imagine the look on the car salesmen face on the last point but after some negotiating, eventually agreed to sell the car for $7800.

Here is what the artist had to say about his work:

"Like most of my recent work, this piece is concerned with monuments and monumentality, but also with 'nature'; that implacable hard stuff. In the first instance I am using the stone as a tool; to change the shape of an object. But I also, as usual, want to make stone more light, more moveable, even if it is in a fairly horrible way - like a road accident.. I do not think the piece is humorous; even though it turns out to be. The kind of face painted on the real version will, of course, depend upon the shape of the stone, but it will in any case be placid, and neither 'realistic' nor cartoon-like. To my way of thinking if the stone is simply a stone without a face it becomes a gesture but with the face painted on it, the work develops a strange narrative. "

I think they got rocking good deal on this ford festiva

Festiva Crushed Art Car - Still life with stone and car

Festiva Crushed Art Car - Still life with stone and car

Festiva Crushed Art Car - Still life with stone and car

via smh photos via madwips

Woody

Oil on canvas panel, 11" x 14"

Weapon of Mass Instruction - The Argentinian Book Art Tank Strikes Again

The Argentinian Book Art Tank - Via

Today I found a posting about an Argentinian artist who has created a Book Tank called 'Weapon of Mass Instruction" or “Arma de Instruccion Masiva”.  Raul Lemesoff converted a 1979 green Ford Falcon into a moving library cruising down the busy streets of Buenos Aires giving out books. The Ford falcon he drives around once belonged to the Argentinean armed forces during its dictatorship but is now covered with over 900 hardcover books. He travels cross-country handing out free literature for people in the cities of Argentina and in remote areas where schools and books are scant. He also accepts donations in order to supply schools in need.

During  an interview he said “The Weapon of Mass Instruction is meant to get people to recognize various aspects of life: sharing, education, and also to have a good time. It’s a contribution to peace through literature.”

By taking what was once a symbol of suppression and violence, Raul has transformed it into a peace campaign of communication through recycled books.

Argentinian Weapon of Mass Instruction Claims Another Victim - Via

Book Tank Art Car Stalking

The Argentinian Book Art Tank - Via

MFP Mad Max Lemon Art Car In Hot Pursuit

Today's StreetSafari car was prepared for our US event, BABE Rally (Big Apple 2 Big Easy).

Instead of the European limit of £150-£250, the US event has a limit of $500. In 2009 when these pictures were taken the price had been increased from $250 to $500 in fact. Apparently $250 were getting hard to come by what with scrap prices getting higher.

With a doubling of the allowable car price, something quite impressive happened - the car actually got worse. You see, people were now unleashed and could buy whatever car they had dreamed of. And yes, people do dream of buying some of the mankiest car's imaginable.

For whatever reason, this team bought this wreck, and then had the bright idea to give a Mad Max theme to the car. From a distance this car looks brilliant, from close up, not quite so brilliant. The team were even busted by the neighborhood agency for spraying this car in their front yard.

After driving the car across the 1,500 of some great US roads the event ended in a Louisiana drag strip. Here, deep in the south where the mosquitos are big enough to drag you away, we set about "racing" the $500 against each other.

You've heard of the story about the hare and the tortoise? This was more like two tortoises. So imagine the commentator with a deep southern drawl explaining to the crowds why on earth these crap heaps were on his track, and you will have captured a very special moment.

By Justin Clements Street Safari

Break Time

Drag Race Time

More Break Time

Hot Pursuit Time

The Art of Heavy Car Lifting - Phil Pfister at 2009 World's Strongest Man Competition

One way to save on gas is to simply pick up the car and move it yourself. That is what Phil Pfister is doing here at the 2009 World's Strongest Man Competition in Malta. You can see that vain in his head from space.

Vanadu Ford - Post Apocalypse Gothic Hunter Camper

I am not sure which category to put this Ford Van called "Vanadu" in, but its definitely Post Apocalypse Gothic Hunter Camper.

You start with the fencing up on the roof with a broken spire that looks like a grave site. And various decorative flourishes scattered around to give it the Gothic retro look.

You continue with various car parts welded together, fins, grill, lights, vases, horns, chimneys, lamps, and bars over the windows to give it the "I just survived an atomic blast" apocalypse look.

You then move to the rustic hunter elements with large moose antlers on the roof, mounted fish and deer antlers on the inside. I think I saw an old pistol hanging there to round out the hunter "I am going to get those mutants" motif.

All this wrapped up in a ford Econoline camper that looks like it has some empty spaces to be completed at a later time. I contacted this person for more info but did not get word back, so I made up my own story. Don't get me wrong, this art van rocks and I am sure its very cozy in a Post Apocalyptic Gothic Hunter way.

Dickens 44 Bascom Art Car Mystery

Dickens44 and Girlfriend with Bascom Art Car

This mosaic Ford Falcon art car was created by artist and former curator for the Unknown Museum Dickens 44 Bascom on facebook a mystery worth investigating.

At first all I found was that Bascom 44 was born on the 44th day of 1944 at 44 minutes past 4:00 am. I am guessing that's were the "44" part of his name came from.

With the help of my friend Amanda who did some more digging I found out that he was part of a growing movement called the "gluers" spearheaded by a group called the Moligator Manufacturing Company, the Northern Frog Works. They met and exchanged gluable materials like costume jewelry, rubber mice, teeth, baby heads, tennis balls, bottle caps, plastic salt shakers and beyond. Dickens Bascom, a noted northern California gluer, looked forward to the day when he could join other gluers and purchase a large office building and decorate it in their fashion. "I'm determined to do it," he says. "I think it's something people need."

Larry Fuente who knew him said he was always raiding people’s basements for ‘art supplies’ and hanging stained glass windows from their trees, engaging neighbors in making art and “an expert at getting people, whole families, to do art together.”

Dickens 44 is still painting and gluing objects after all these years and has managed to produce a very large and wonderful body of art found on his site. The art car itself is pretty amazing and deserves its place here on art car central. Mystery somewhat solved.

The Telstar of Whangamata Sticker Art Car Highly Contagious

This Sticker Art car was sent in by Murray McKenzie from Whangamata, a beach town in New Zealand. The art car is a 1995 Ford Telstar hatchback covered in free stickers from a local surf shop that took about 6 months to complete. I think this sticker art car might be contagious by the looks of the developing sticker rash on car parked next to it.
I believe now might the time to put Whangamata under quarantine until this thing sticker infection passes.

Milking it at Burning Man on Milktropolis Mutant Vehicle

The Milktropolis mutant vehicle was built by Jon Zensius, Bob Dow, Natalie Zensius and Stephanie Rose for this years burning man event. This project took 9 months of hard work and was a test of their skills, friendships and marriages. It's wood and fiberglass and a wee bit of steel in the corners on a Ford Explorer body. The Cereal Bowl seats 8 and the carton accommodates 4. There are 100 hand sewn cereal shaped pillows in the bowl for comfort. It's driven from up in the carton area and the drive train is done with bike chains from steering wheel to a home brew rotor and back to steering wheel. Gas and brakes are controlled via one of the former power window motors. It also has over 5000 LED lights for night time driving, that runs on a 1000w portable generator. Passengers have the pleasure of entering Milktropolis via a "spoon" ladder and exit via a pool slide. It was a huge hit and we will returning in 2011 with a few modifications in case you missed it but my only question is 1% or 2%???

Ford Kuga Art Car Painting by Ian Cook - Painted with RC Cars and Tires

On Saturday 4th September - Artist Ian Cook aka Popbang Colour painted the Ford Kuga live on the Internet using radio controlled cars. The Ford Kuga team was there to capture all the action. Check out the video of how he did and for more photos go to flickr.

Ford Van Art Car Covered with Kitchen Sinks

I found this Ford Van covered in pretty much everything, I think I see an alien in there somewhere and I am still looking for the kitchen sink. Anyone know the owner??? via

I just found out that this art car called "Peace the temple of one love" created by “Brother One Feather” and here is the video of him telling his story.

Garden Art Car Goes to Court

This garden art car is headed to The U.S. Supreme Court that will consider an appeal next month from the owner of Planet K stores over his long-running battle with the city of San Marcos about his right to display it. In 2007 Michael Kleinman paid two artists to transform this salvage special in front of his store into a painted cactus planter art car. City officials got themselves hot and bothered, claiming the Oldsmobile 88 was in violation of a city ordinance declaring such displays public nuisances. The car was removed and Kleinman is appealing a 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruling in February that found the car-planter to be “ultimately a junked vehicle.”  Good luck with that!! via Its funny I was going to do a garden art car post a while back and forgotten about it until my dad sent me this article two days ago. As you can see these are just a few of the garden cars I found from around the world. Most are intentional, some natural and the last one is purely accidental. If you like these you might also like the Grass Art Cars also on Art Car Central.

10 Insane SpongeBob Art Cars - Insanity Intervention in the House

By orbaddict	By Lotta of Mom O Matic
By BinaryApe	By Druffel
by Colwyn Bay	By Viz79
via	By ebi debi
via	don't know

If you are a normal parent you probably have kids songs running through your head at all times. I just happen to get Sponge Bob Stuck in my head today and the only cure was just to find all the Sponge Bob "Art" Cars and post them. Its not that the SpongeBob art cars are insane but you go insane even contemplating doing this to your car. It's like the song never go away...ever. These people clearly have kids and its obvious that they are insane and need intervention big time.