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Posts Tagged ‘Museum’

If college students come home on spring break and tell their parents that they have decided to major in art and become a sculptor, many parents would be aghast. Their first thought would be how would they support themselves and next they would envision their child living at home forever. However, there are sculptors who are self-supporting and don’t fit into the ’starving artist’ category. And one industry that employs sculptors is automotive manufacturing. The concept of clay modeling in automotive design began at General Motors seventy years ago. Today automotive sculptors combine the designer’s drawings with the engineer’s specifications to create a three dimensional model.

Harvey Earl first introduced the idea of modeling sculptor’s clay to produce three-dimensional models. Clay was more workable than the plaster and wood used previously so it permitted more flexibility and creativity. So sculptors as well as illustrators and engineers became an integral part of an automotive design team. However, when automotive art emerged as a fine art genre, some of the sculptors left the industry and started to freelance.

One of these is Steve Posson. Posson had majored in automotive design at the Art Center College of Design in California and did prototype bodywork for Jeep, Volvo and Renault. Now he has revived the ancient technique of lost wax casting to create bronze automotive sculptures. Lost wax is notable for capturing minute details. His sculptures usually feature people and scenery along with the automobile but still give an illusion of motion. He has exhibited his work at major shows such as the Pebble Beach Retro Auto, The Newport Beach Concours, the L.A. Roadsters Show, and The Grand National Roadster Show, to name a few. Steve also has many well-known corporate clients such as Petersen Automobile Museum, Ford Company, and Auto Aficionado Magazine.

Greg Johnson became involved in automotive sculpture as a result of a career as an entrepreneur in the automotive collision business.

Greg does both painting and sculpture. Greg’s sculptures are unique in that his materials are salvaged and wrecked auto parts that he reshapes and combines before applying an acrylic urethane finish. Greg uses the same acrylic urethane paints to create abstract paintings.

Richard Pietruska is another widely recognized automotive sculptor. Richard’s career in art began early in his life. When he was in high school, he was a winner of the Fisher Body Craftsman’s Guild competition that earned him a scholarship to the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California. He received a Bachelor of Science in Automotive Design and a Master of Fine Arts from the Art Center College of Design.

He now teaches at the Art Center College of Design in the Transportation and Product Design Department where he has been employed for the last thirty years. Richard’s students have included many of the top automotive designers in the world. Some of Richard’s work is whimsical such as his red and blue Viper salt and pepper shakers. He has also produced some non-sculpting art such as an interesting creation print and a Ferrari scroll. Richard recently received an invitation to the Automotive Fine Arts Society and is one of their newest members. The Society mounts two exhibitions each year to feature the work of their members.

It is only natural that one of auto racing’s pioneer countries would have museums dedicated to automobiles and it does. Travelers to Milan, Italy can enjoy the Alfa Romeo Museum located in Arese, Milan, Italy. The museum is in the former Alfa Romeo factory area and covers almost a century of Alfa Romeo history. During its manufacturing heyday, Alfa Romeo not only produced the automobiles they are famed for but also manufactured commercial vehicles, marine and aircraft engines, locomotives, buses and tractors. The museum occupies 52,000 square feet and comprises six floors. The visitor will find four theme areas that include a chronicle of all the Alfa Romeo road cars manufactured from 1910 plus prototypes, concept cars, scale models and aeronautical exhibits. The first car ever manufactured by Alfa Romeo, the 1910 24 HP Torpedo, is on display here. Most of the one hundred original Alfa Romeo models are fully functional today. The museum shut down for renovations at the beginning of 2009 but is expected to re-open in time to celebrate Alfa Romeo’s 100th birthday in 2010. After his father’s death, Torino Lamborghini constructed and opened the Centro Studi e Rierche Ferruccio Lamborghini in honor of his father, Ferrucio Lamborghini. The museum is located at Via Statale 342, 44040 Dosso (Ferrara); however, unlike the other automobile museums in Italy this one does not maintain a regular schedule. In order to visit, one must schedule an appointment. Visitors are rewarded with such views as a white Countach Quattro Valvole, a Miura SV, an Espada, and and an early 400 GT. Hanging from the ceiling is a Lamborghini Helicopter, a prototype built by Lamborghini but never produced.

No museum tour of Italy would be complete without a visit to the Galleria Ferrari located in Maranello just south of the town of Modena where Ferrari where Enzo Ferrari was born. The museum is a monument to the man who exuded passion about everything automotive. Ferrari was both a racecar driver and a designer and manufacturer of racing cars. His fast paced adventurous life dances before the visitors eyes throughout the museum packed with memorabilia including the trophies won by Enzo himself and of course, the famous cars. A unique feature of the museum is the amphitheater that houses two F-1 driving simulators. Here, the visitor can experience the thrill of being behind the wheel of a racing car sans the skill and danger. The visitor traveling through Torino should take in the Il Museo Dell’Automobile sponsored by Fiat. However, although there are many Fiats in the collection, the theme is technology displaying cars that featured important innovations in automotive history. The landmark of the collection is the 1907 Itala that won the Peking to Paris race in 1907. Both the race and the car are immortalized in Luigi Barzini Sr.’s book, ‘Peking to Paris.’ Another famous car on display is the Isotta Franchini that was used by Gloria Swanson in the film ‘Sunset Boulevard.’ Painted on the front doors are the initials N.D. that stand for Norma Desmond, the name of the character played by Gloria.