Séan Pádraig Posted July 19, 2012 Share Posted July 19, 2012 The ICA, in partnership with BMW, the Mayor of London and the London 2012 Festival, will take over a landmark car park in Shoreditch for two weeks only from 21 July to 4 August for a unique exhibition of the BMW Art Car Collection on show for the first time in the UK. The exhibition is part of the London 2012 Festival, a spectacular 12-week nationwide celebration running until 9 September 2012, bringing together leading artists from across the world with the very best from the UK. The collection, initiated over 35 years ago, features BMW cars transformed by some of the world’s leading artists including: Alexander Calder, Frank Stella, Roy Lichtenstein, Andy Warhol, Ernst Fuchs, Robert Rauschenberg, M.J Nelson, Ken Done, Matazo Kayama, Cesar Manrique, Jeff Koons, A.R Penck, Esher Mahlangu, Sandro Chia, Jenny Holzer and David Hockney. ART DRIVE! THE BMW ART CAR COLLECTION will show cars by 16 international artists over six floors in the NCP Car Park on Great Eastern Street in Shoreditch. The project, which brings together BMW’s excellence in car design and the ICA’s passion for and commitment to art, will be a one-off opportunity for art and design lovers as well as car enthusiasts. The BMW Art Car Collection started when French racing driver and auctioneer Hervé Poulain invited his friend Alexander Calder to design a car that married artistic excellence to 'an already perfect object'. The end result was a racing car that would ultimately compete in the Le Mans 24-hour race in 1975. And so the BMW Art Car was born. Since then some of the greatest names in contemporary art have added to the collection creating a wide range of artistic interpretations. David Hockney’s 1995 Art Car paints the inside of the car on the outside, revealing everything from internal engine parts to a dog in the back. Rauschenberg incorporates photographic transfers of Ingres paintings while Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein used the canvas of the car to portray the essence of speed.Well-known for its support for innovation and new talent across the contemporary arts, the ICA has sought out some exciting emerging names in design from the East End to help deliver this project, including Julia, Loop.pH and My Beautiful City. The ICA is delighted to be working with LOCOG, BMW and the Mayor of London’s office on this prestigious project. Art Drive! presents an exciting opportunity to reach new and larger audiences. The ICA hopes to take on further projects of this type in order to extend its reach into new spaces across the city. ART DRIVE! – THE BMW ART CAR COLLECTION Dates: 21 July – 4 August 2012 Location: NCP Great Eastern Street Car Park, 35 Great Eastern Street, Shoreditch, London EC2A 3ER Admission: Free 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pigsty Posted July 19, 2012 Share Posted July 19, 2012 a landmark car park in Shoreditch Now there's a line you don't see every day of the week. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Séan Pádraig Posted July 19, 2012 Author Share Posted July 19, 2012 I know I thought the same so I had to google streetview and see it and it is indeed a bold claim.... maybe it was the first ever NCP. However I am particulary after photos of the Alex Calder car and as I have a 1/12th scale kit and would love to build it as that Art Car. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Séan Pádraig Posted July 19, 2012 Author Share Posted July 19, 2012 This BTW is the Alex Calder Art Car... a BMW 3.0CSL that raced at Le Mans in 1975. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Madmonk Posted July 19, 2012 Share Posted July 19, 2012 The Art Car was a great idea, just a pity it was not done annually. 1975 car. Plenty of pictures online. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Séan Pádraig Posted July 19, 2012 Author Share Posted July 19, 2012 I have pictures of the car but not from all angles and what I am after is close ups details of inside and of the smaller stickers as the model will be in 1/12th scale even the smaller one will be readable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Madmonk Posted July 19, 2012 Share Posted July 19, 2012 Sean, There is a video on YouTube, Calder Art Car posted by laguette, sorry works firewall won't let me on to YouTube. Managed to get this still of the stickers under the door number, the only other sticker appears to be the triangle for the electrical kill switch. As for the interior, looks like a fairly simple roll bar but no idea what was taken out and replaced, the vidoe seems to suggest that the dash from the standard car was retained. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fatbaldbloke Posted July 19, 2012 Share Posted July 19, 2012 The Calder car is being looked after by JD Classics in Maldon. One of the few non Jaguars in the place. I know the race team manager there so if access isn't great at the London event, drop me a PM. He's a model builder himself and has been pretty accomodating to others in the past. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Séan Pádraig Posted July 20, 2012 Author Share Posted July 20, 2012 Cheers MM, that the kind of stuff, will check out youtube. FBB, as any build would be all painted as there are no decals I am hoping to gete views of all sides but if not possible then any assistance would be most greatful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snowen250 Posted July 20, 2012 Share Posted July 20, 2012 There was also a slotcar made by FLY. If you google it plenty of pictures come up. It was as far as im aware, very accurate. Or you can buy one, i think they go for around £100. Simon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fatbaldbloke Posted July 20, 2012 Share Posted July 20, 2012 It was kitted in 1:43 by Provence Moulage many years ago. Grand Prix Models worked with PM on a few of the art cars and also had a few more done as hand painted limited editions. Not seen a kit for ages but you might get lucky and find someone friendly who would scan a decal sheet for you. I recall a 1:24 decal for the Lichtenstein CSL a few years ago but not sure who by, I think either Studio 27 or Renaissance, but not the Calder. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
little-cars Posted July 20, 2012 Share Posted July 20, 2012 Renaissance did the Lichtenstein car as a 1/43rd kit, I don't remember seeing any decals in any other scale. Paul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fatbaldbloke Posted July 21, 2012 Share Posted July 21, 2012 Beg pardon Paul, I'm getting my art cars muddled. The Lichtenstein was the 320 which you're quite right is a 1:43 Renaissance kit. I was thinking the CSL Millimeter car was Lichtenstein, but it was Frank Stella. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Séan Pádraig Posted July 25, 2012 Author Share Posted July 25, 2012 (edited) Well I popped along tonight and was not disapointed. The cars were set out over 7 levels. You entered the carpark and go straight up to the top and work your way down. You can walk all around the cars so I managed to get all the sides and details I needed for the Calder car so I am pleased. I was very surprised at the Warhol M1 car as the paint finish is by far the roughest finish and has a lot of finger marks which would be very hard to replicate on a model. You even get a free full colour brochure covering all the cars... the last car was the Jeff Koon car which was amazing. Edited July 25, 2012 by Séan Pádraig Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TMC_Sherpa Posted July 26, 2012 Share Posted July 26, 2012 AutoArt did most of the cars in 1/18 for BMW dealers and I have the M1. They did a fantastic job of replicating the "messy" paint, finger work and all. It's been in storage (with everything else) for ages so I don't remember off hand if it represents the "as raced" or the respray. I have an (two maybe? I don't remember) ESCI M1 with the clear body and as much as I love Jagermeister orange I was planning on kitting it out as the Warhol car. Sherpa Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Séan Pádraig Posted July 26, 2012 Author Share Posted July 26, 2012 Wow, I have the Calder and Warhol cars from the BMW museum collection (the ones in the perspec display cases) but to try replicating Warhol's paint scheme would be a real challange.... but I would love to see it if you ever do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fatbaldbloke Posted July 26, 2012 Share Posted July 26, 2012 The Warhol car was touched up after the race. The paint was water based (probably emulsion or poster paint) and in the wet race it ran. There's a shot of the car at the end of the race in the 1979 Le Mans annual and it's in a right mess. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TMC_Sherpa Posted July 26, 2012 Share Posted July 26, 2012 Wow, I have the Calder and Warhol cars from the BMW museum collection (the ones in the perspec display cases) but to try replicating Warhol's paint scheme would be a real challange.... but I would love to see it if you ever do. The Museum Collection, that's right. I'm almost positive the collection was released by AutoArt which is very strange as many of the models (or the molds at any rate) were done by Minichamps and Kyosho. The 'ol brain isn't what it used to be (and it was never all that good to begin with). Andy painted the thing with a big fat brush so I don't think it would be that difficult to replicate.....that was me giving the project the kiss of death right now wasn't it? *sigh* At any rate it's on the list of things to do so assuming monkeys haven't taken over the earth and there is still an internet when I get around to it I will definitely post pics. The Warhol car was touched up after the race. The paint was water based (probably emulsion or poster paint) and in the wet race it ran. There's a shot of the car at the end of the race in the 1979 Le Mans annual and it's in a right mess. To be fair it was a bit of a mess before the race started but I think that's why I like the car so much. The Stella and the Calder car are both very attractive (for example) but there is something, I don't know, human about the Warhol car. It's certainly not what I would call classically beautiful but I've often been told I have strange tastes so I don't let that bother me. Sherpa Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Séan Pádraig Posted July 27, 2012 Author Share Posted July 27, 2012 Here are some photos from the exhibition.... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Séan Pádraig Posted July 27, 2012 Author Share Posted July 27, 2012 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fatbaldbloke Posted September 10, 2012 Share Posted September 10, 2012 I think this thread is worth a bump for this little link. For those wishing to recreate the Warhol car, a rather interesting period video courtesy of BMW's archive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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