MOTORING IMAGINATION

I'm not alone when I say that I view many cars as art. BMW has produced plenty of cars that fit into this category (take a look at a 70's era 3.0 CSI or an 80's era 635 CSI and you'll know what I'm talking about). In 1975 BMW decided to put their artwork into the hands of major artists to turn the cars into one-of-a-kind vehicles called BMW Art Cars. I look at it as art squared.

The BMW Art Car Project was originally conceived by the French racecar driver Hervé Poulain, who in 1975 commissioned American artist Alexander Calder to paint his BMW racing car. Since then, prominent artists throughout the world have designed sixteen BMW Art Cars, based on both racing and production vehicles.

I'm really excited that I'll be able to view and photograph four of these special cars at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA). Cars designed by Andy Warhol, Frank Stella, Roy Lichtenstein, and Robert Rauschenberg will be briefly on display from Feb 12 to Feb 24, 2009 outside at the BP Grand Entrance. Get there soon before they race off! - Lydia Marcus

Andy Warhol's 1979 BMW M1 Group 4 Race Version


Andy painting his BMW Art Car


LACMA is the first U.S. venue stop in a major, worldwide tour of the cars; they next appear in New York City's historic Grand Central Terminal before heading to a three-city museum tour in Mexico.

CHRONOLOGICAL LIST OF ALLl BMW ART CARS:
Alexander Calder (USA) 1975 BMW 3.0 CSL
Frank Stella (USA) 1976 BMW 3.0 CSL
Roy Lichtenstein (USA) 1977 BMW 320i Group 5 Race Version
Andy Warhol (USA) 1979 BMW M1 Group 4 Race Version
Ernst Fuchs (Austria) 1982 BMW 635 CSi
Robert Rauschenberg (USA) 1986 BMW 635 CSi
Michael Jagamara Nelson (Australia) 1989 BMW 635 CSi
Ken Done (Australia) 1989 BMW M3 Group A Race Version
Matazo Kayama (Japan) 1990 BMW 535i
César Manrique (Spain) 1990 BMW 730i
A.R. Penck (Germany) 1991 BMW Z1
Esther Mahlangu (South Africa) 1991 BMW 525i
Sandro Chia (Italy) 1992 BMW 3 Series Racing Prototype
David Hockney (Great Britain) 1995 BMW 850CSi
Jenny Holzer (USA) 1999 BMW V12 LMR
Olafur Eliasson (Denmark) 2007 Bmw H2R

BMW ART CARS OVERVIEW VIDEO:


ANDY WARHOL PAINTING HIS BMW ART CAR:


PHOTOS OF ALL THE ART CARS:
http://www.bmwdrives.com/bmw-artcars.php