Art cars have been a popular way of self expression since the 1960’s hippie painted volkswagen van. Art cars have risen in popularity in the last 20 years and the artist’s themselves have formed a more cohesive community. The artists/drivers often dress in accordance with the theme of their cars and meet at parades and art festivals such as the Burning Man festival. The style of these art cars varies widely — from the Oscar Meyer weinermobile to temporarily painted cars done with poster paint to heavily sculpted forms that hardly resemble a car at all! These art cars come in every imaginable (and unimaginable form) and are great to get a look at. Here’s some of my favourites.

image source

This art car was being displayed at the Burning Man festival. I love the way the sculpted head looks like it’s going really fast with it’s hair flying in the wind and eyes agoggle at what it sees ahead. Imagine this one coming up in our rear view mirror!

image source

This art car was being displayed at the Houston Art Car Parade in 2007. The Volkswagen Beetle is one of people’s favourite cars. They are always so cute! This one’s even cuter times two. I love the legs sticking from the upper car’s bottom. Hysterical.

image source

This car is at the Art Car Museum in Houston. Sometimes art cars resemble huge rolling displays of found art with seemingly miscellaneous and random objects glued to them. I love all the metal work on the front and how it starts to resemble fish’s scales along the sides and back of it.

image source

This car at a parade in Seattle sort of looks like fish’s scales along the back of it too. I love the use of colour and repeating circles on this car and the way that it comes to a point at the end. I’m not sure what you’d think if you were driving behind this car on a highway — sort of looks like an alien rescue vehicle.

image source

image source

This car at the Houston Art car parade shows how artist’s use all sorts of mediums on their cars. One packet of ketchup or hot sauce would look odd. However, hundreds of them look kind of cool. It makes a regular car into a race car with a stripe down the middle of it. This theme of using the same item over and over is common in art cars.

image source

This car is covered with hundreds of different coloured markers. It definitely gives new meaning to the term the sum of the whole is greater than individual parts. I love how the guy’s hard hat is covered in markers too. And the look on his face is priceless — sheer joy at showing off this incredible display of his creativity.

image source

This car is covered with records and cd’s and what looks to be pieces of records. The artist is perhaps making a statement as to the changing times. How records used to be so common and now are a relic of our pasts.

image source

This mosaic cars uses pieces of glass and pottery to transform a simple convertible into an incredible rolling statement on the artist’s creativity and imagination. I can’t imagine how much time this would have taken to completely. The mortar definitely makes this art car’s installation permanent. I love how even the tires have been painted to maintain the theme.

image source

Sometimes art cars are a political statement — I’m guessing this guy likes Obama. I love how he’s successful covered every inch of his car with Obama ‘08 stickers. They make an intriguing pattern when viewed from a distance and make a statement when viewed up close. Um, I wonder what he’s going to do after Obama’s elected (I hope).

image source

This car too makes a vivid political statement and is probably my favourite in this whole list. A sod covered hearse that says Reducing My Carbon Footprint. It just doesn’t get any better than that. This car offers a myriad of interpretations — if we don’t save the planet, we’ll die or perhaps a statement on rebirth after death or a statement on gas guzzling vehicles eatting up our natural resources. The list could go on and on. What do you think it means?

image source

This awesome van’s statement is loud and proud — I ♥ the USA! It definitely looks like a flag blowing in the wind. The flaming tail ends of the flag give the van a speedster tyle look. The stars on the hub caps are a nice touch too!

image source

This art car too has an American feel to it. Ronald McDonald’s giant shoe. I love the laces on the shoe and the way there’s creases in the car like there would be in the actual clown shoe. Sorry for the lame joke but I just have to say it — His shoe has been Super Sized! Groan.

image source

This art car uses the Statue of Liberty on a motor cycle exploding from the roof of a van. I love the way they’ve used blue metal along the base of the statue to show the van’s roof tearing as she bursts through with a beer in one hand and steering the bike with the other.

image source

This Volkswagen Beetle has been transformed almost beyond recognition. It has a variety of messages attached to it, some more readable in this picture than others. It seems to say something about achieving your goals and running for love. It seems like every object imaginable is interwoven in the design — angel wings to ice skates and hockey pucks to giant eyeballs. I love how the front looks like a face — eyes, nose and toothy grin.

image source

This volkswagen’s transformation is of another kind all together. This one has been transformed into a rolling statement on the beauty of nature. From the autumn coloured leaves to flowers and butterfly wings, this car’s art is incredible. I especially love the shadow that’s created by the antennae and wings.

image source

image source

This metal clad sculpture is about the slickest art car I could find. With a total of five faces appearing on the front and sides of it resembling gargoyle faces. Maybe that’s why it reminds me of Batman — all the gargoyle face perched on the ledges of Gotham City’s highest buildings. It also screams art deco with the rounded shape and pointed rear end. I would love to take this baby for a spin. What an incredibly creative design.

image source

This car completely reminds me of the monsters on the show Muppets, way back when. The use of fur on this one is incredible although I’m not sure how it would hold up in the rain or snow. My toddler would absolutely freak out if she saw this car. She already has a fear of “monsters”. This one looks pretty friendly though.

image source

This is the same “monster car” from the side. It shows the three dimensional legs ending in claw feet on the sheels. This angle also shows off the tail sticking out of the station wagon back and the spiney top of the monster.

image source

This amazing art car is probably more my toddler’s speed — Radio Flyer wagon down to the tee. I love it! I wonder if you have to steer with the wagon’s handle? Some art cars, such as this one, are built from the ground up. The ingenuity of this “car’s” transformation is nothing less than astounding.

image source

This wooden “from the ground up” art car reminds me of the racing cars my son built in boy scouts. I loved the curves and angles of this car at the front and back. It’s sleek design takes aerodynamic to new a whole other level.

image source

This from the ground up design has won several awards and is instantly recognizable from afar as the telephone guy. This art car is totally realistic in it’s details of the numbers on the front. I’m not sure how the driver who’s in the inside of the phone is able to see where he’s going though!

Hopefully, everyday art like this will inspire you to become more creative and to change your environment to one that’s more inspiring to the eye and heart. Here’s some more articles I’ve written on making the ordinary into something extraordinary:

• http://www.quazen.com/Arts/Everyday-Art-Lego.284841
• http://www.quazen.com/Arts/Visual-Arts/Everyday-Art-15-Amazing-Pictures-of-Food-Art.293013
• http://www.quazen.com/Arts/Visual-Arts/Everyday-Art-Chairs.271161
• http://www.quazen.com/Arts/Visual-Arts/Everyday-Art-Garbage-Cans.260681
• http://www.quazen.com/Arts/Artistic-Recycling–Metal.294011
• http://www.quazen.com/Arts/Visual-Arts/Artistic-Recycling-Egg-Cartons.265553
• http://www.quazen.com/Arts/Visual-Arts/Artistic-Recycling-3-Plastic-Bottles.274589
• http://www.quazen.com/Arts/Visual-Arts/Artistic-Recycling-Tea-Bags.262599