I’m having sudden memory flashes with this graffitied Mitsu, and not from some back alley in a gritty downtown area. Instead it’s from my art school days, where the school’s basement served as the area of ‘free expression.’ It was hallways and hallways of graffitis with no end in sight, and tons of artistic ‘freedom’ sprayed on the walls.
It’s always fun to see what people with a few spray cans do with their much-depreciated vehicles. If resale is low, why not have some fun? And this car must be ‘daytime only,’ since I doubt those headlights are of any use anymore. The things humans put up with in the name of ‘art.’
I’m sorry, I’m just not versed in ‘graffiti,’ and can’t tell if there is any coarse language in this piece of ‘urban art.’ If so, my apologies. I get a ‘Black metal’ vibe from some bits, but that’s beyond my expertise too. There appears to be love messages as well. Could be just a mélange of ideas, in a very ‘free’ and postmodern way?
Regardless of my art school background, I’ve little eye for graffiti. Looks like a pretty poor application to me, but is there a technique in here I’m not aware about? Have these urban artists raised the value of their little Mitsu with their dazzling techniques?
In any case, if one must find a need for ‘freedom’ and ‘self-expression,’ an old Mitsu can be just the place to start.
Images from Mike Hayes, at the Cohort.
That car was probably worth more than the owner thought it was worth. Now it’s theirs for good though. 🙂
I don’t really mind the free expression aspect of it, I’m too organized of an individual though to ever do something like this to my own car before carefully masking off all glass, lights, grilles, and probably even badging. Although my garage and shed are a complete mess currently so go figure.
The little kid in the background is either drawn to the car or has been firmly warned to stay well away from it. 🙂
I wonder if the sticker on the driver side window is a warning, you’re about to be towed sticker, the next stop may well be the junkyard.
I feel like whatever artistic expression grafitti resembles I got out of my system by about age 7, scribbling with crayolas. I think my work was better, only I didn’t apply it to every visible urban street corner, train hopper, abandoned car and overpass like these “artists”.
I’m good at spray painting though, nice even smooth applications of single colors. I get much more satisfaction in that than I do the oversprayed multicolor board I use behind the object I’m painting that now resembles every piece of “good” graffiti I’ve ever seen.
There is soooo much irony in this specific photo.
I’ve never seen in person, a daily driven car, this heavily graffitied. It’s a one-off.
It’s different. A different experience, that’s harmless, and unique.
Look in the background. Two identical Subarus. Other, than colour. Total strangers, I’d guess. I’d rather see something different like this, than everybody eventually driving the same (or same looking) cars.
Of late I’m seeing more and more ‘Art Cars’ and this is okay .
I’d never do nor have one but back in the day I had lots of college students as Customers and they often did this or worse (IMO) to their cars, no business of mine as long as they paid in full cash only thankyouverymuch =8-) .
-Nate
Well, besides how wonderful it is to see such colors on a car in this grey/white/silver/black world, it’s just a lot of fun. I don’t know how to interpret graffiti, (if that’s even a necessity), but I see this specific project as a positive art form – and it makes me smile a lot.
The closest we have to this look here in Arkansas, (where?), is when someone’s car is pieced together of various colored fenders, doors, trunk and hood from Billy Ray’s u-pick-it lot.
Though this really isn’t my thing at all, I briefly entertained doing something like this with my Renault 12 when I was in high school. It was a slightly weird French car, and I had ended up with a few bins of various paints and art supplies after cleaning out someone’s garage… I was going to remove lights and mask off windows before going to town on the project, but just couldn’t get past the first step of actually starting to randomly sling paint at my car.
As far as I ever got with the express yourself, “art car” thing was painting what looked like a small gold asterisk on the hood bulge of the Renault. It was rendered as perfectly as factory pinstriping, and I got no further. Another wild hair led to a Gumby being applied as a hood ornament on my old Datsun pickup. After Gumby kept leaving the scene at freeway speeds, making a loud WHOPP! when he glanced off the windshield and flew through the air… I gave up. One wonders how all that crap stays attached to the more ambitious art car projects, but I suppose their drivers aren’t blasting down the highway at 80+mph everyday?
My first and only thought is “why would anyone do this to his car?” I know it’s considered expressionism, art and freedom but jeez, this is terrible.
And, therein lies the rub with “art” .
just because you and I will never do this to a vehicle doesn’t mean it’s not a good thing in someone else’s universe .
-Nate
I prefer it in Octane Blue. This is how my wife’s Lancer looked before she gave it to her granddaughter.
It doesn’t look as good now, but her ‘artistic modifications’ are of the ‘inexperienced driver’ variety.
To quote my wife, “my poor old car 😢”…