Contemporary art among vintage cars.

A weird Renault 4cv. Photo is (c) 2015, topffer.
@topffer (42156)
France
September 24, 2015 10:03am CST
My last discussion was about a performance of a contemporary artist. Nowadays contemporary art oscillates between exhibitionism and provocation. This artist was an exhibitionist. I would like to share with you a picture of the other tendency, provocation. There was a race circuit for vintage cars in my city last weekend, one of the most important events for vintage cars in Europe, where you can see shining cars more than one century old. Some of them are really dream cars. I drooled in front of an alignment of Morgan convertible sport cars of the 1920's/1930's that I will perhaps show you later. I have had several sport cars when I was young, and some models are now collectors' cars. It tells me that I am not young anymore... Never mind. At the cross of a road I saw... this ! A ruined Renault 4 cv of the 1950's with a Texas plate and trash on the roof, lol. Indeed this car was not there for the race, but it was intriguing enough to make people stop and look at it closer. Many have probably not understood that it was a sarcastic piece of art sneakily put here to question this kind of event. It is quite an exploit to have fooled the organizers and obtained an authorization for it to park among all these shining cars. Contemporary artists are doing today what king's fools where doing in the past, and they are useful to make us laugh about ourselves. What do you think about this ? What are your thoughts about contemporary art ?
10 people like this
8 responses
@thesids (22180)
• Bhubaneswar, India
24 Sep 15
The closest I can get is to a museum here in India by the name - Sudha Cars Museum. They have a few cars from the ancient days and have remodeled most of them. As per my last read - they have about 32 cars in a range of quirky shapes and designs - a basketball, a football, a computer, a billiards table, a brinjal (eggplant), a burger. In Indian context, I think these designed/re-modeled vehicles cannot ply on roads but it is fun and a hobby for some.
2 people like this
@topffer (42156)
• France
24 Sep 15
An eggplant car? When you modify the body of a car here you have to pass through a lot of controls to be allowed to go on a road and it costs a lot of money. On the contrary, the rules are not strict for vintage/collection cars (are considered like collection cars, all cars having more than 30 years), and a ruined car like this one can go in a street while a new one as damaged as this one would not be authorized. We have several car museums, but not one in my city which becomes the capital of vintage cars only during a weekend each year. I will have a look online for Sudha Cars Museum.
1 person likes this
@thesids (22180)
• Bhubaneswar, India
24 Sep 15
@topffer Here is a link to their new website.
Toggle navigation Main Menu World's Only Wacky Car Museum Wacky Cars Sudha Cars Museum is the first and only handmade Wacky Car museum in the World. It is the brainchild of Mr. K. Sudhakar, a Guinness World Record Holder for making the Largest Tricycle in
2 people like this
@topffer (42156)
• France
24 Sep 15
@thesids Thank you. This link is completely at its place in this discussion.
2 people like this
@TheHorse (206590)
• Walnut Creek, California
23 Oct 15
Sounds like good fun to me. I would have chuckled, I think.
1 person likes this
@topffer (42156)
• France
23 Oct 15
Or neighed ? The most funny thing was that many people were not realizing that it was a sarcastic provocation.
1 person likes this
@topffer (42156)
• France
1 Jan 16
@TheHorse Difficult to tell except that they were attracted by this intriguing car.
1 person likes this
@TheHorse (206590)
• Walnut Creek, California
1 Jan 16
@topffer More like nickered slightly. Did they think it was junk? Or something "deep"?
1 person likes this
@owstalaga (4707)
• Philippines
4 Oct 15
Maybe it is indeed a sarcastic artwork. It's not really nice to look at but people will be curious enough to check on it.
1 person likes this
@topffer (42156)
• France
4 Oct 15
It was certainly intended to be sarcastic. Weird, but people were looking more at this car than at rare cars looking like new. I think that many people did not understood that it was a piece of art.
1 person likes this
• United States
12 Oct 15
I do not know the difference between "contemporary art" and other forms of art, except that I think that the "contemporary art" is not really art but rather a bunch of junk put together and labeled as "art". I know that I appreciate some forms of art and not others. I also know that I appreciate sardonic imagery sometimes, but I think that these "contemporaries" take it too far. It is like putting dual drag pipes on a Honda motorcycle and trying to call it a Harley Davidson.
1 person likes this
• United States
13 Oct 15
@topffer Well if the shoe fits, then it probably is not "contemporary art" ... unless the shoe is made of feces and fitted for an octopus or something like that.
@topffer (42156)
• France
12 Oct 15
Why not ? I remember to have started a discussion about a Porsche with pedals. Art reflects the time when it is done. If contemporary art is a "bunch of junk put together" then our society is also a "bunch of junk put together".
1 person likes this
@gregario888 (1276)
• Aurangabad, India
25 Sep 15
Surely not between-exhibitionism and provocation. It is the same as the devil and the deep sea. Wish some one drilled some sense into this misguided lot.
1 person likes this
@topffer (42156)
• France
25 Sep 15
You have also artists doing flashy pieces of art for collectors, like Koons actually, but I think that they are less interesting, and some movements like avatar are anecdotal. Our century is not old, but what will remain for its beginning in Europe will certainly be the exhibitionist/provocative artists, and superflat artists in Japan, inspired by anime/manga.
1 person likes this
@blitzfrick (2890)
• United States
25 Oct 15
Interesting that it had a Texas plate. Every year in Houston Texas there's an art car parade. Those cars are actually quite beautiful, not piled up with junk. Here, take a look: I've seen the parade only once; it was great fun.
The Houston Art Car Parade, powered by the Orange Show, is the largest art car parade in the world. For info on the Houston Art Car Parade, visit www.thehoustonartcarparade.com
1 person likes this
@topffer (42156)
• France
25 Oct 15
It is an interesting link. Some cars look very nice. I don't know anything like this in France and I cannot tell if the car in the photo has participated to this art car parade, but it should have, as they have very different cars.
@Marcyaz (35316)
• United States
24 Sep 15
I am not much into art any longer but i do know what I like and what I don't like. Cotremporary art is pretty good and I think for people to stop to see what the older vehicle is a good thing.
1 person likes this
@topffer (42156)
• France
24 Sep 15
There were good looking vintage vehicles all around and people were stopping near this one. It is very good when art goes in the streets and attracts the attention of people.
@Rollo1 (16679)
• Boston, Massachusetts
24 Sep 15
I think that may be a statement but it's not art. It may be a prank, but it's not art. I am so tired of artists who don't produce art.
1 person likes this
@topffer (42156)
• France
24 Sep 15
Can you tell me what kind of contemporary art you appreciate : stuckism ? pseudo-realism ? superflat ?