As long as I can remember, I was attracted to automobiles. It wasn’t the speed or mechanical specs; I could barely change a tire, much less the oil. I was beginning to appreciate and understand their artistic form.
This was the Eisenhower era, when America was on the move and I think that was reflected in the automobiles that rolled out of Detroit. The cars of the ‘50s were beautiful. It was a time when designers spent months designing such simple, mundane elements as a door handle, hood ornament, or hubcap.
Cars had personalities, actual identities. You could tell the difference between a Chevrolet, Ford or Plymouth in the blink of an eye. Saturday night, with your arm around your best girl sitting close, cars were freedom. And when you stole a kiss at a stoplight, romance was in the air.
I realized the inspiration for their design was based on forms found in nature; trees, flowers, oceans, mountains, even the animal kingdom. The smallest detail from a side view mirror to a hubcap was designed to work in harmony. The sum of the parts equaled the whole. While the untrained eye saw only ordinary utilitarian pieces of plastic, metal, chrome, and aluminum attached to an automobile, I saw something else. I discovered that apart from the automobile, they were designed to embellish, these elements had an exciting visual presence all their own, sometimes even more captivating than the car itself.
Suddenly, a taillight wasn’t just a taillight. It was a ship, skyscraper, or anything else I imagined. The idea of reimagining a part and integrating it into a whole new setting. My love of automobiles and art finally had a name: REINCARNATION.
In the new, green world of technology, where cars have no identity and will soon drive themselves, REINCARNATION is a sweet reminder of America’s love affair with the automobile.
With a nod to the past, and a wink to the future, REINCARNATION brings a smile to those who came of age in another time, as well as those who might wish they had.
