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Appreciating high-end automotive art on the wall is as satisfying to some collectors as keeping a valuable bit of metal in the garage.<\/p>\n
To further make the case for that proposition, the Petersen Automotive Museum<\/a> in Los Angeles is now showcasing an exhibit of famous car-related works from artists including Ed Ruscha, Andy Warhol<\/a> and David Hockney. \u201cEyes on the Road: Art of the Automotive Landscape,\u201d on exhibit at the museum now until November, isn\u2019t primarily about the shapes and designs of vehicles, but also about the motoring landscapes that drivers pass daily on the roads and highways, but don\u2019t often process \u201cas objects of art and inspiration.\u201d<\/p>\n Take, for example, Roger Kurtz\u2019s multi-dimensional view down the road in \u201cDouble Underpass,\u201d or the severe, angular interpretation of the Standard gas station from pop art iconographer Ed Ruscha <\/a>in 1966.<\/p>\n \u201cThis exhibit represents the fusion of artistic expression, automotive ingenuity and observation of the motoring environment,\u201d said Terry L. Karges, the museum\u2019s executive director. \u201cIt also perfectly illustrates how artists can reveal the beauty hidden in plain sight throughout the world in which we drive.\u201d<\/p>\n The display is divided into five sections: Vehicle Concepts, Sign Language, At the Pump, Highways<\/em>, and Street Art.<\/em><\/p>\n Among the more fantastic cars from the 1930s and \u201850s displayed in the \u201cvehicle concepts\u201d showcases are the 1934 Dymaxion designed by Buckminster Fuller, 1956 American Motors Astra-Gnome, 1955 one-off Ghia Gilda<\/a> and 1969 Chevrolet Astro III<\/a>. There\u2019s also a weird but lovable rendering of a Disneyland Autopia Mark VII.<\/p>\n Besides Ruscha\u2019s station, other art pieces that transcend the\u00a0 \u201cauto art\u201d label include Hockney\u2019s \u201cMulholland Drive\u201d (1986) and Warhol\u2019s \u201cMobil Gas\u201d (1985).<\/p>\n More information is posted at Petersen.org\/exhibits.<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n