Art Car Book by Harrod Blank - A must have for your coffee table

What got me started in the journey with my own art car the Mercedes Pens and now with Art Car Central was a book called "Art Cars: the cars, the artists, the obsession, the craft" by Harrod Blank.I walked into the library one day and was browsing the car section when I came upon the most amazing book I had seen in a long time. In it was filled with images of people who had decorated their cars with paint, glued objects, car modifications and everything in between. Many of those cars have since been featured on Art Car Central like the Fruit Mobile, Hoop Car, Camera Van, The Phone Car, The Button King, Glass Quilt, and many more from Harrods Blanks Art Car Agency.

If you have ever seen an art car around town and wondered why would someone do that to their car. Or where curious about the type of person who would drive an art car, then this book is definitely for you. I now have my own copy and it never gets old. You never now, you might end up making your own art car and one day it could end featured here on Art Car Central, I look forward to your art car submission.

Automorposis Movie Trailler by Harrod Blank

This is the 2 minute trailer for the film "Automoprhosis" by Harrod Blank creator of the Camera Van. The full length film runs 77 minutes and is currently being shown in film and art festivals.

The Santa Cruz Film Festival VIII Worlds Fastest Art Car in the Making-David Best & Crew

via scscreamer

I found this posted on facebook today and is a great way to see and art car in the making with time lapse video. Most people take weeks and even years to build their art cars. David Best with a team of people can take three days to build his cars. In this video they took one day to build the "worlds fastest art car". I don't know, I think I have seen faster but the end result is simply stunning. Here is the YouTube description of this video.

On Thursday, May 14, 2009 artist David Best and a team of art car creators beat and beaded a Miata into a masterpiece. The creation of the "world's fastest art car" at The Tannery Arts Center was completed in 14 hours by David Best and SCFF volunteers. This collaborative event was illuminated by our friends at Photoflex and filmed as a time lapse short by Peter McGettigan and Ed Schehl. The film screened alongside Harrod Blank's Automorphosis at the closing night festivities on Friday, May 15, 2009

15 Most Popular Penny Art Cars Worth Every Penny

Penny covered cars seem to be a dime a dozen, but are worth every penny. These are the 15 most popular penny vehicles I found on the web starting with Steve Baker who covered his 1971 Ford Econoline van in pennies. He was also featured in Harrod Blanks Art Car Book "Wild Wheels" but I believe the car is no longer in operation. Steve is seen here wearing a penny suit that he wore while driving his art van and while playing golf. Steve wore this suit because he believed in the healing power of copper.

1) Penny Van Creator Steve Baker in his Penny Suit



2) Pennymobile Art Car

via GypsyMermaid

3) The Penny Armored Art Truck

by tokyohanna

4) Penny Honda Civic Art Car at the Ripley's Believe It or Not museum!

by abbyanduriah

5) Jimmy McDole and Susie Q and the Penny Art Van

by Delta Niner

6) Cadillac Penny Art Car

by Theresa Thompson

7) Penny Art Bike named Copperhead

by denaldo

8) Old Penny Art Car

by RoxanneRayes

9) Penny Minivan Art Car

by SanDiegoMama

10)Penny Mini Art Car

by edenacadia

11) Penny Cadillac Art Car

by Photosbychristensen

12) Penny Ford Escort Art Car

Photo by

13) Penny Corvette Art Car

via PennyVett

14) Penny Art Truck by T Stone

via Zenzibar

15) Penny Canadian Penny Dodge Van

by Endlisnis

Art Car Movie - Automorphosis by Harrod Blank

Here is a great video interview with Harrod Blank and Camera Van Art Car. In this video he talk a little bit about his movie Automorphosis and the reason behind why he does what he does. He book about art car was my inspiration for creating the Mercedes Pens Art Car and has inspired many many more to go out and create their own art cars.

Harrod Blank's Automorphosis - Amazing art car movie now showing

Harrod Blank's art car movie Automorphosis is now out and will be shown in selected theaters around the country. This is the most amazing and inspiring look into the minds and hearts of those of us out there who build and drive these works of mobile art called art cars. The movie is a humorous and touching journey as we discover what drives these cast of unconventional characters in their creative process. Some of the cars featured in this movie will be: The Camera Van, The Telephone Car , Salvation Mountain. In fact the whole reason art car central is here today is because of Harrod's book wild wheels that inspired me to create the Mercedes Pens art car and then on to create this blog. So I am very excited about this movie and want the world to know about it.

The other big news is that David Silberberg's film about Harrod life and career, "Oh My God, It's Harrod Blank!" is going to have it's World Premiere at the Slamdance Film Festival in Park City Utah January 16th.

Here are the play dates for the two films:

AUTOMORPHOSIS

Santa Barbara International Film Festival
Jan 23 12:30 PM Victoria Hall, Santa Barbara CA
Jan 24 4:45 PM Metro 4 Theater 4, Santa Barbara CA
Jan 26 6:30 PM Victoria Hall, Santa Barbara CA

SF Indie Fest
Feb 14 5 PM Roxie Theater in San Francisco CA
Feb 17 7 PM Roxie Theater in San Francisco CA
Feb 21 7:15 PM Shattuck Cinemas in Berkeley CA

Big Sky International Documentary Film Festival
Feb 18, 10:30 PM Wilma 1 Missoula MT

OH MY GOD, IT'S HARROD BLANK!

Slamdance Film Festival
Feb 16, 3 PM, Main Screening Room Treasure Mtn. Inn, Park City UT
Feb 23, 10 AM Gallery Screening Room, Treasure Mtn. Inn, Park City UT

Harrod Blank will in person at all of his screenings and at David's screening on the 16th so get there support the movie.

Harrod is also currently entering his film into as many film festivals as he can and it is looking good for Ashland Film Festival, and Santa Cruz. He will be doing a special screening in Lubbock Texas in April which will know about later and hopefully Dallas, Austin, Houston, and Mcallen all in April, May.

And hopefully the DVD will also be released around March.

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