Thursday, April 30, 2009

Arts in Overdrive

I’ve spent my day setting up for the annual Arts Festival and I gotta say I’m a little pooped. This year’s theme is “arts in overdrive” and there are all sorts of art cars on display. Until very recently I had no idea what an art car was. Apparently this is a big thing here in Texas, with lots of festivals, parades, and that sort of thing. Actually they happen all over the country, just bigger in Texas, I am told. Here’s a wikipedia link to art cars and here is a wiki definition:


“An art car is a vehicle that has its appearance modified as an act of personal artistic expression….. An important aspect of art cars and car artists is the general belief that there are no standards. Ideally, there are no super stars nor is any car better than any other.”


Normally I would not have much interest in this. I’m not a car person. I like to walk. I hardly ever drive. But as personal artistic expression these things are super cool. That pic above is one of my personal favourites, the Brass Van. You can actually drive this thing and it is fully licensed and road worthy. Amazing!







Where did these people get all of these brass pieces? Boggles my mind.


Our clay guild has got its own art car, a work in progress, that is open to the public for attaching ceramic shards too. I love that this will be a community piece of art. I’ll get some pics of it tomorrow.



Cheers, LeAnn





6 comments:

Rosanne said...

Everything is bigger in Texas!
That's what they say...
That car is amazing. Who would want to drive that around, I'd be afraid the pieces would fall off.
I bet the Clay Guild car will be something to look at. Take more pics, please?

Katie said...

There's a whole art car parade here in Houston every year...It's HUGE - check out this link:

http://www.orangeshow.org/index2.html

In 2006 the theme had something to do with George Clinton...A team from one of the high schools ended up winning...George heard about it and had to come see the car - and he autographed it for them

http://www.artcar.blogspot.com/2009/02/atomic-dog-art-car-george-clinton.html

It's a blast to see what people come up with :o) Welcome to Texas - where everything's bigger (and weirder?) :o)

SummersStudio said...

Hey Fab, more pics coming of our art car. One woman who isn't a member of the guild spent most of the day adding incrdible things to it!


Katie, cool links! I must say I am a wee bit smitten with this whole idea of art cars.

Carol B said...

Welcome to Texas! I frequently see art cars around Austin.

stregata said...

LeAnn,
that brass car boggles my mind also!! If all of that is really brass - I see so many faces in there - it must be incredibly heavy. They would never be able to license something like that to drive on the road here!!!
I'm looking forward to seeing the clay guild car.

SueBeads said...

LeAnn - have a great time! Sell lots of stuff!