It's a calculated collision of auto and art. The creative expressions of life and contemporary culture painted on BMW racecars and autos by such famous artists as Andy Warhol and Alexander Calder speed back into pop culture as BMW Art Car Miniatures.
The collection will feature 15 miniatures in all, with timed releases beginning now through 2005. Alexander Calder and Jenny Holzer's masterpieces are currently available at BMW dealers worldwide. Art Car Miniatures designed by Andy Warhol and Sanro Chia will be released in mid-June.
The idea for the BMW Art Cars was born in 1975 when Hervé Poulain, the auctioneer and driver of the 24-hour race at Le Mans, was looking for a link between art and motor racing. He had his BMW 3.0 CSL designed as a piece of art by his friend, American artist Alexander Calder.
Calder's design of the BMW 3.0 CSL was the first Art Car ever, and one of his last works of art before he died in 1976. An engineer and sculptor, Calder's challenge was creating his own "artistic stamp" on something that he did not produce and sculpt himself. His rendition of the BMW Art Car boasts powerful colors and attractive curving expanses, which he applied generously to the wings, hood and roof. Calder saw his art in action when he attended the Le Mans 24-hour race as a guest to witness his work's premiere.
Calder, who was born in Philadelphia in 1898, journeyed to Paris where he discovered the avant-garde scene. Drawn to both art and technology, he developed an entirely individual style to sculpture. His often huge pieces have a buoyant, hovering effect and are painted in daring, primary colors. His most famous works of abstract art entitled "Mobiles" were viewed as the most innovative sculptures of the 20th century.
The youngest Art Car is the BMW V 12 Le Mans roadster, which Jenny Holzer designed in 1999 with pen strokes and six short texts from her Truisms and Survival series. Holzer, an American artist who prefers words over pictures, clothed her Art Car with her most famous statement, "PROTECT ME FROM WHAT I WANT" in chrome and phosphorescent paint. The Holzer Art Car concept is based on traditional markings, colors and graphics of racing car design.
Born in Ohio in 1950, Holzer has attained worldwide recognition with her provocative images. Her constructions and highly technological presentations, shining from walls and chiseled into stone, have gained a special standing in contemporary art.
BMW Art Car Miniatures are available in a scale of 1:18, boasting a wealth of details and a level of manufacturing precision that matches the originals. Every artistic aspect of the originals has been captured in order to create perfect pieces of art in miniature.
Text and photos courtesy of BMW AG
