Can a car be considered a work of art? In order to answer this question, we first need to understand what art is and what its universal criteria are. Usually, art is understood as a special way of cognition of reality, which manifests itself in the expression of feelings and attitudes towards the environment through an artistic image, understandable not only to the author, but also to other people. Art is a form of creativity, and its result is always a material thing – a work of art. In the broad sense of the word any product of constructive human activity can be considered such a work, since creativity expresses the inner world of the creator and leads to the creation of something new. But does this mean that any car designed by man is a work of art? There is no doubt that just as there is a huge chasm between a real masterpiece and a low-brow kitsch, so a custom-made expensive classic car is sharply different from a modern budget model made on an automated assembly line.
The Signs of a Work of Art
The main sign of a true work of art is its aesthetic value. But beauty is a relative concept, and any estimations are subjective. There are, however, generally recognized criteria which allow us to separate the grains from the chaff and the originals from the copies. Any art has its unquestionable ideals, which are recognized if not by the majority, then at least by a small circle of real connoisseurs. This also applies to cars: it is possible to distinguish a whole list of models sold at auctions for millions of dollars, and if a particular instance also has its own history, race victories or famous owners, it is generally priceless. Collectors of classics hunt for such cars no less than for paintings or sculptures of famous artists. Read here about 3.6 jeep engine problems.
Some critics take the view that art can have no practical application and is a value in itself. In such a case, beauty excludes utility and form excludes function, so the automobile is simply a complex mechanism and means of transportation. But can’t the creation of machines, mechanisms, individual units or engineering structures be called art? For example, a gasoline engine-if it is designed by a talented engineer, has a high output, is well tuned, is reliable enough and produces an excellent sound-how is it any worse than a painting, sculpture or piece of music? Sometimes more time, energy and creativity can be invested in such an engine than in some engraving, book or movie, and its work is like a sound symphony. This in no way diminishes the importance of traditional art forms, it’s just that there are different values and priorities for each era.
We live in an era of post-modernity and mass culture, when everything is extremely rationalized and adapted to global market standards, but at the same time it is paradoxical, impermanent and free of any canons and conventions. What used to be called art has now become the commercial activity of producing standardized consumer goods aimed at an average taste. The extension of liberal principles of freedom of thought and pluralism to the arts has led to total creative liberation, value relativism, the rejection of previously formed aesthetic criteria, and the blurring of the boundaries between art and other forms of expression. As a result, today we are witnessing a profound cultural crisis that has engulfed all forms of art, including the automobile. Cars are becoming more and more numerous, they are losing their individuality, becoming a monotonous and low-quality commodity for consumers. But it wasn’t always like this: back in the middle of the last century, almost every car, regardless of make, class or cost, represented an original, distinctive idea, embodied in metal by the hands of dozens of people.
Can a Car Be a Work of Art?
A car is not just a work of art, it is a work of art of a special kind. It can be considered a synthesis of several art forms at once: engineering, architecture, art and even music. These layers superimpose on each other, forming a complex, complete masterpiece. If you compare a car, say, with a painting, its complex nature becomes immediately obvious. A painting is the work of one artist: he owns the idea, and he embodies it from beginning to end. The painting remains an exclusive original and ends up in a museum, where its only purpose is to bring aesthetic pleasure to visitors. A vintage car is quite another matter. First, it is designed by a whole team of designers: engineers, exterior and interior designers, marketing specialists, etc. Secondly, the car is hand-assembled by other people: mechanics, metal and woodwork, finishing and painting specialists. And usually it is assembled not in a single copy, but in the whole series, and in the future the value of the model will depend on the number of the survived units. Third, the car has not only aesthetic but also purely practical functions: even the rarest and most expensive oldtimer can be used as an everyday means of transportation.
Besides, a car, unlike a painting, can be changed and improved during its exploitation. The farther it goes from its original condition, the lower its value to collectors, even if the modification involves replacing the mechanicals with a more modern one while keeping the body intact. However, there are exceptions: an inexpensive classic car found in a junkyard, turned into a custom car or hotrod, can be worth more than a similar model restored to its original condition. Sometimes owners strive to make their cars stand out from the crowd by using airbrushing, which is considered an independent art form. Actually, an airbrush differs from a painter only in the fact that it is not painting on a canvas with a brush, but with a paint cylinder on metal. Not coincidentally, professionally made art cars can be found in contemporary art museums.
Final Thoughts
Finally, another important point: a work of art should convey feelings and perceptions of its author. In this respect, any engineering machine will remain a dead iron, but not a car. Working on its body, the designer draws inspiration from different areas: he can embody geometric shapes, natural objects, architectural details, parts of aircraft or rocket technology, etc. in metal. Suffice it to mention the tail stabilizers borrowed from military aircraft of the 50s, stylized in the face of an ancient temple Rolls-Royce grille and wedge-shaped bodywork of sports cars of the 70s. The exterior design is only an outer shell, available for all to see. The interior is the internal part of the car, belonging only to the passengers. Speed, power, handling and other characteristics of the car are also laid by its creators, but only those who are behind the wheel can enjoy the sensations of driving.
So, the answer to the question posed at the beginning of the article will be unambiguously affirmative. Moreover, the car is not just a part of art, but also opens new horizons in it. However, as well as in any art, one should distinguish true masterpieces, simply well thought over and made examples and frankly ugly articles, made by someone’s talentless hands, among all masses of cars.