Adopting the Gonzo Approach

Many years ago, I was introduced to the work of a writer named Hunter S. Thompson. Bear in mind that this "introduction" came at a pivotal point in my creative career, and I was completely drawn to his style of not only writing, but his almost renegade technique of forming a story. Here was a journalist who not only covered the news at hand, but worked in a personal angle, often thrusting himself so deeply into the event he was covering so as to alter its outcome! "Absolute brilliance", I thought! Not mere "coverage" or "reporting", but LIVING it!

This was just too much... This guy GOT it! To a student of Fine art, this was the epitome of "creating" anything: Living it! Thompson's style of news came to be known as "Gonzo Journalism", and the name packs the energy rightfully reserved for this all-out, sensory attack, in which the writer himself becomes an integral part of the story. Somewhere between the facts, self-interjection and commentary, the truth lay in wait. This was the sort of writing I had done since I could first form sentences... I had found someone who had paved the way before me, and man, I was digging this. Taking something that has always been deemed as objective, and beating it into something much cooler and entertainingly subjective... showing that a subject or event could have an effect on the writer, and then, at times becoming a part of that story was just simple logic to me... After all, how interesting is just blowing some facts all over a sheet of paper (or a monitor!)? Stirring in (or up!) some emotion is key to creating compelling content. Anyone can say "gee, Stan... there was this one guy, and he said this, and the other guy said that. Then they shook hands." Wow. Not sure about you, but I'M drained from that story. What a cathartic experience... or NOT. Thompson would become the center of his work, very often blurring the line between "reporting" facts and "influencing" a story. He interjected opinion, an energy, and most of all, an experience.

That said, I began to look at this field of automotive art that I work in, and feel a bit depressed. It's gone from the fun, energetic industry to a machine full of photo-real, computer-generated imagery lately. The landscape is littered with 3-D models and tracings of the same-old, same-old.

Doesn't anyone just DRAW anymore?!

The creative projects... the REALLY wild customs and out-of-the-box hot rods are the ones that inspire and push the hobby to that next level... they've become fewer and further between. It's become... well, "safe". We're flooded with near stock-looking blah-mobiles drawn with a lack of personality, often with the actual car being just the same bland cookie-cutter crap over and over again. Wow... a photo-real 3D model of a '69 Camaro on aftermarket wheels... just like those other ones! What the hell happened?! It was as though Henry L. Mencken's "bathtub hoax" had brought some new lease on life in the car community. As though someone started the rumor that renderings needed to be sterile, lackluster depictions of some uniform style, and by golly, the whole group jumped the bandwagon, eating up the words and carrying it right into the common belief system they'd developed. Worse yet, I saw it start to occur in my own work as well from time to time, and it made me take a step back, and in doing that, I had a moment of absolute clarity.

I took the past couple of months and began heading back to what made this whole automotive illustration gig so appealing to me at the start: The ENERGY!! I pondered just what makes a rendering so valuable to a project, and beyond the financial (sponsor opportunities, press, etc) and communication (illustrating the modifications) value, it all boils down to CREATING EXCITEMENT! Simply looking at a photograph of a car can be cool, sure, but you're seeing something COMPLETE, FINISHED... and it removes the emotional response, the natural impulse to IMAGINE. To look at the idea SUBJECTIVELY!! By leaving just enough to the imagination, just enough room to interpret something, some part as YOUR OWN, you don't just LOOK at the work, you EXPERIENCE it!!

This is why I leave some loose lines among the tightened concepts, some free-form areas to chance... I'm not nailing down parts, bit by bit from some "rule book" ("18's and 19's? Check. Suspension lowered exactly like every other car on that forum? Check. Billet parts here, here and here? Check. Correct valve covers so as to avoid the wrath of the Traditional Police? Check, check!"), I'm inventing a concept to be shared, interpreted... EXPERIENCED by not only the owner or builder of the car, but anyone who happens upon it. Anyone (and I repeat ANYONE... you, your kids, your neighbor's Grandmother) with access to a 3D model, or some tracing paper and a few pencils and markers, or worse yet, Photoshop, Google and some time can bash out a lifeless, non-creative turd, and have it celebrated by the easily duped masses... but the ones who can hammer down a concept, and show some life in the lines, some ENERGY... man... those are the pieces that stand up to time, and drop their pants at the lesser crap. Compare a Stanford rendering to some Photohack from a guy in a forum. Name your three favorite Jimmy Smith renderings, or Steve Stanford concepts, or Larry Wood designs. Easy, right? Now try to do the same for three photochops or 3D models. That's a pretty tough one, huh? And do you like those pieces you named because the artist kissed your ass on some online forum, or because the work stood out, elicited a RESPONSE in you?

Pretty creepy realization, huh?

I'm not about to fall victim to this absolute "dumbing-down" of the hot rod and custom car industry... Rather, I'm adopting the "Gonzo" style, and going at it with the passion that brought me here to begin with. What's great is that I've never really fit in to begin with, so if anyone takes offense or has their feelings hurt by my shift in priorities, I certainly don't have to hear the whining, or fear some drop in the number of cards sent my way over the Holidays. It's just me, my art, and the drive to push it until the son of a bitch breaks from the altitude. I'm not about to fall victim to trends... to having the need to be accepted because I'm doing the same thing fifteen other guys are currently latching onto.

Our pal Hunter (from the start of this whole mess) stated that "he that is taught only by himself has a fool for a master". Grand advice... and a central theme here in the Studio. Draw inspiration from as many sources as possible! I'm often looking to objects or art forms so removed from cars that even I begin to wonder how they'll apply... and it's a blast! I'll look at a painting and consider the brush strokes, and experiment, seeing how they might work in a current or future piece. Perhaps there's a rhythm in a song that just makes sense when laying down the lines on some graphics... It can come from almost anywhere. The key here, though, is KNOWING YOUR SUBJECT.

INTIMATELY.

Simply hacking a few photos together, or painting some digital model or tracing a picture doesn't grant you any more knowledge of designing a hot rod or custom car than does accidentally bumping a car in the parking lot with your shopping cart. When you take time to know the car, to understand the parts and pieces that make the whole... to look into the designer's mind and grasp where he was going and WHY, well, you're starting to grasp the idea. You're in no position to modify that car until you understand it. Going back to Dr. Thompson for a second (after all, he's the reason we got rolling on this anyway), he once wrote that "Fiction is based on reality. Unless you're a fairy-tale artist, you have to get your knowledge of life from somewhere. You have to know the material you're writing about before you alter it. " Incredibly wise indeed, and the big "why" that so many of these sterile, cold "renderings" lack that "punch"... the thrill, the excitement of a GREAT piece... the ones that make you take a step backward and yell "BITCHIN', MAN"!!

With all of that strewn on the table, I'm going to go back into the Studio and tear the next project a new one. I challenge you to go and do the same in the shop, and wow the snot out of everyone who experiences your Gonzo build.

Hiring a Hot Rod Designer

Over the last decade, we've seen explosive growth in the hot rod and custom car industry and hobby as a whole. This can be attributed to the popularity of television shows like Overhaulin', American Hot Rod and others, as well as Powerblock TV, the Barrett-Jackson Collector Car Events, and of course, the access to great personalities like Chip Foose, Stacey David and others. This brings in new enthusiasts, and naturally, more project cars!

Not since George Barris snapped thousands of photos and wrote hundreds of articles promoting the hobby back in the 1950's and '60's have we seen so much attention on our hobby, and it's amazing to witness. Yet, while there's all of the excitement, many of these new fans and participants are feeling lost when starting a project. It can be a daunting task to say the least, but when taking those first steps, having the right footing can make all of the difference in the world.

Naturally, any success in a project requires a plan, and building or modifying a car requires very careful thought at this stage. I've often heard guys say "I just build as I go... no plan, just what feels right", and sadly, it certainly doesn't look like it must feel in many cases. Disjointed design, half-assed "fixes" to make parts fit, and often unsafe "engineering" ("engine-beering", most likely) have sent many a project to an early grave. Thus, the best advice would be to bring on an experienced designer to help guide you along. As a professional hot rod and custom car designer with over twenty years experience in the auto industry (from parts and service to body and after-market accessories), as well as training in design and fine art, I'm here to offer some advice on taking those first steps.




Five things to consider when hiring a designer:

Unless you have a background in design, you'll want to seek out a designer to help you refine your vision. The importance of having a vision on paper, especially when working with shops and others on a team cannot be overlooked. You'll have a vision of the finished product for everyone to work from, and it helps to avoid gaps in communication, and errors in describing what you want to accomplish.

When shopping for a designer, keep some things in mind:


1. Look for one with a style you like.

Not only are you hiring someone to assist in laying the groundwork for your project, but this person must be able to convey your ideas and tastes, as well as create a piece that will inspire your build team. You'll want some "wow" factor, but also be sure that your designer draws with proper scale and proportion! Taking a cartoon or shoddy "Photochop" to an experienced builder will get you laughed out of the shop. Sure, the kid you hire in a forum can make that '58 Edsel bumper look like it fits your Monza, but in reality, would it? (and are you looking to blow your budget on wild changes before the car even hits primer?) Look around, and study the artist's styles and prior work.
Much like you chose a car that excited you, be it for nostalgia reasons, a certain feeling it gives you, or just the fact that you liked it overall, you'll be miles ahead by selecting a designer in the same way. When the car is torn apart and looking bleak, the artwork will serve as an excitement generator.




2. Find a designer you get along with.

Spend some phone and email time conversing with designers. See if you get along, and can communicate freely. An open exchange with your designer will pay off in a HUGE way when working. Look for someone who can help guide, if asked, but also take an idea you have and run with it. Nothing can be more disappointing than getting going with a guy who doesn't listen, or is looking to create a portfolio piece on your dime. On the flip side, simply hiring a "wrist" to make some lines based only on what you say is boring, and will; leave your design "flat". On the same note, just hiring an "artist" who rehashes the same 3D model their last 40 customers got, but with different paint and wheels will get you, well, the same car as those other 40 guys.
Make your budget known, and make sure that your designer understands that.
Make it an open exchange where ideas can flow freely, and you'll be pleasantly surprised how an idea can grow or be refined to mind-blowingly cool in the right hands.

3. Understand the designer's terms.

Get it ironed out immediately when speaking, just how many revisions you'll receive, and what the cost may be above that level. Know how the work will be delivered. Hard copies? (one for you, the shop, and maybe for promotional purposes?) Digital copies for magazine ink? (how about sponsorship proposals?) Can you use the artwork to promote the car? Who owns the Copyright?

A professional designer will furnish a contract spelling this out, allowing for worry-free design time. Check this out from step one, and you'll avoid starting over when your forum buddy disappears with your PayPal payment.

Understand, too, that work will often depend on payment. If you want your designs quickly and well-done, be prepared to pay a bit more, and respect the time required to perfect a design. Much as you wouldn't rush a surgeon reconstructing your body, giving the same consideration to your designer will breed equally functional results!

4. Don't be the "I'll know what I want when I see it" guy.

That guy is the enemy of designers, and it translates to "headache" to any pro. Have an idea at the first consultation, even if it's vague, and ask for direction/advice if needed. Know what you'd like to do with the car. Will it be restored? Modified? A combination of the two? Something wilder? A professional designer will offer examples, and throw ideas around with you, hitting on your likes and dislikes before pencil hits paper. Many great cars develop during these "bench racing" sessions, and you'll save a ton on revisions. Communication is your best friend here. Simply jumping from style to style will burn you and your designer out, and close doors on really creative ideas.
Research the hell out of your project and ideas. Go to shows, cruise nights, rod runs... Pick up magazines, books, videos... Look around at what's been done, and find a style that you like. Make a list of things that you enjoy about cars. Perhaps you enjoy good handling, or maybe straight line performance is more your thing. Maybe it's all about the look of the car, and you're after a show car that'll make people stop and drool. It's this stage that will help determine a direction for the project, and is of HUGE importance.







You should have a list of your dreams for the car, and one alongside that is more realistic, taking into consideration the reality of the car you've chosen. Approaching a professional designer with these will save time, frustration, and above all, help to nail that "perfect" concept.

5. Don't fall victim to trends.

Simply shopping at the "popular kids" table will, inevitably, breed you a cookie-cutter car. Simply saying "oh man, that car that won Street Machine of the Year had a cool hood, so I want THAT hood, and the same wheels, and the same paint, and then that car that won the year before had those seats... I want THAT interior..." and so-on will not design or build YOUR dream car. Much as you may have enjoyed looking at that model in a magazine ad, would you marry her? Chances are, you'd rather find someone who fits your life, who matched that often undefinable set of criteria that just "does" something for you.

This project car should be no different.

Seek out a designer who understands the style you're planning to build your car in, and can offer unique approaches to design problems that not only make your eyes pop out, but will keep a few bucks from doing likewise from your wallet.


If you've seen a teal green and gray car with a tweed interior and 15-inch billet wheels lately and thought "wow... the 1990's called, and they want their car back", imagine what response a car built in a trendy style today will elicit in ten or fifteen years. "Build to YOUR taste, not someone elses'" is my credo in the studio. Approach modifications tastefully, respectfully, and with the thinking "how does this change affect the rest of the car? What purpose does it serve?" If it makes sense, do it. If it's questionable, question the hell out of it.

That said, head on out and explore... look at work, compare styles, and talk with designers. Your decision should go beyond price, and be the RIGHT fit for your project. Seek out a designer that can listen, offer ideas, and above all, nail your design. After all, simply setting sail on the ocean might take you SOMEPLACE, but is it where you WANTED to go? Hiring a designer will help chart that course, and the end of the journey, when plotted correctly, will have you itching to hoist the sails again, and that's what this whole car thing is all about anyway... feeding that passion.

Artist Feature... and FREE WHEELS!

I have an upcoming artist feature in the relatively new Benchrace Magazine, an online publication geared toward the hot rod community, and loaded with absolutely killer feature articles each month, and I'm pretty stoked, as this is really the first online 'zine to include my work.


Weighing in at nine issues (when the new one hits, anyway), the magazine has already nailed some killer content, including stuff from guys like Jim "Jake" Jacobs, Tom Fritz, our good pal Jimmy Smith, Dan Picasso and more! Hell, it's even had the great Reverend Billy Gibbons on the pages! Good times indeed!

Suffice to say, it was cool when Robert threw the idea out there to feature my art... I'm always stoked when anyone takes notice of my stuff, and it was a good experience! As part of the fun, I was asked to offer up a print as part of his monthly prizedrawing, and I've obliged, offering up on of my signed/numbered and limited-edition pieces, the Mahi Mah-T:

Add to that (by golly, it just gets better and better, huh?) the chance to win a free set of wheels, compliments of Real Rodders Wheels, just for subscribing (it's FREE, by the way), and the icing is on the cake:

If you get a chance, check it out... I think you'll enjoy it.

Red and random...

Got to playing with a series of works lately, all based on a monochrome theme, and thought I'd show one off for a Friday morning:


Suffice to say, it's a rather colorful series, with an interesting mix of contrasting and complementing cars and styles, each coupled with a color chosen in the same way... Hope you dig it.

Surf Cube Concept

After the last post, I got to work, and completed one of the concept sketches...


Naturally, I began sketching ideas for these Cube's as soon as I laid eyes on them, and the above idea kept knocking on my brain... It just HAD to be drawn first!

The "Surfite" of one Ed Roth has always ranked as a top ten custom car in my book, not only because it's so damn original, but it's also surf-oriented, and as you know, I love me some surf ANYTHING. And man... the little Cube not only calls out for a "lifestyle vehicle" treatment, but as a surf wagon??! Oh YES! Taking cues from Mr. Roth's lilliputian land rover, I plugged in classic hot rod and So-Cal VW styling cues, and attempted to honor the master "hisself" (as he'd say) with a modern take on the little Surfite. Pop-out side glass? Check. Asymmetrical tail light treatment? Check. Aggressive stance? Checkity-check. Custom trim and mild re-work all over? Double checkity-check. Take a very unusual car and make it even more personal/unique? Check, check, checkity-check check! It's useful, like the swing-out rear glass and flip-up side windows, to the small step built into the rear fascia, and, well... it just looks COOL.

I dig it, and hope you do, too... And if so, holler at me, and I'll continue finishing what I've started in the sketch book, and show off an entire series, perhaps.

Going to the movies...

…as a kid was a big deal. We didn’t do it often… it just wasn’t in the cards. But when we did go, man… it was a total experience. I enjoyed any film we’d see, but I always held a special fascination with the theater lobby, namely the movie posters. Looking back on it, aside from cars, a few notable children’s books and assorted product packaging, movie posters were my first real exposure to design. (as a side note, after seeing Jason and the Argonauts as a kid, my obsession with stop-motion animation and film was ignited… Ray Harryhousen permanently warped my fragile young mind!) To say that there was an impact in that would be an understatement… I was floored by the graphics, the layout… the ability of an artist to convey the general scope of the story, to excite moviegoers into plopping down their cash for a ticket (in many cases, anyway— some just stunk up the joint) was, consciously, anyway, my first real understanding of print design as an emotional trigger.

I grew up on kung fu/horror/fantasy movies...and you wonder why I mash different topics together like I do...

Fast-forward a few years, and my interest in movie posters and film itself was still growing. I loved movies almost as much as I did cars, and my friend Joe was a total movie nut, namely horror films. The guy knew literally every horror film, director, production house… he was a walking encyclopedia of the genre (as well as sci-fi films… not so odd that he’s gone on to write some great books!). This was in the heyday of VCR’s and video rental houses, and what made it great was that we had access to so many movies, as the classics (meaning both “great” as well as just “old”) were being released by the dozens. Companies like Vestron (they essentially revolutionized video distribution, and pumped out roughly 3,000 movies on videotape between ’83 and ’95… there’s some more useless trivia that clouds my brain daily), MGM/UA, Embassy, AIP and more were releasing tons of independent, low-budget, B-grade and major releases… From The Stuff andBlade Runner to Revenge of the Living Zombies, Basket Case to Xtro, man, we watched a TON of VHS-format celluloid. We’d try to seek out some great films, and it was in doing this that I was introduced to the work of Hammer Films, a stand-out among the many great (and not so great) productions we’d watch.

What made the Hammer films so great was the way they told the stories, and the era they came from! Their horror and sci-fi boom was ’55-’59… Coincidentally, the golden age of custom cars… hmmm… Anyway, Hammer’s horror films were more “gothic” in nature (monsters, based more in terror, with a back-story that makes you feel a bit for the players), and they often re-told classics like Dracula, The Mummy and Frankenstein (sixFrankenstein films from’59-’74, no less). Great actors like Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee were regulars, and man… they were just tremendous entertainment, even for two kids discovering them almost 30 years after their release. The films had a great look, but, again, what infatuated me was the cover/poster art! Tom Chantrell was the wrist behind many of the great designs, and just had a knack with not only killer art, but amazing layout and design. I think that a lot of my color work is influenced, be it unconsciously or otherwise by the man’s work. Keeping a loose yet detailed feel in my work is directly attributed to Mr. Chantrell’s influence, as well as that of Saul Bass (whose mantra was “Symbolize and Summarize”—how insightful is that? Spare yourself four years of design school, and just repeat that… then send me the money you saved. OK, half. More on Mr. Bass later… and I mean Saul, not Lance. Although, I may have a great way to compare him with cars. I’ll think of it.). Bold, direct, powerful. You’d know Bass’ work anywhere:

My infatuation with movie posters continues to this day (although with three young kids, my serious collecting days are some time off, yet). As a kid, the work of Drew Struzan was everywhere… remember the posters for Indiana Jones? The Goonies? Technical brilliance! My tastes fall somewhere between the amazing portraiture of Struzan, the expressionistic and detailed style of Chantrell, and the bold graphic statement of Bass… All have been a profound inspiration in my design and illustration work. It’s still a point of fascination for me when we go to see a movie… I wander around, and check out the new posters. However, it seems as though the true art of the movie poster is falling to the side of the road, as far as mainstream movies go, anyway. Independent films have always had kind of cool (and occasionally bizarre) poster art, but lately, it’s as though the fine art has gone away. The new Indiana Jones film brought back a spark of life, though… Struzan nailed it again! …and the new Batman flick?! Man…. Great stuff, and the two versions, each with the burning bat symbol (one of Batman, one of the Joker) are great, and really play up the menacing undertones (and overtones, let’s be honest here) of the movie. Would a hand-painted or rendered piece have been better? I submit that in this particular example, it could not. There’s a time and place for almost every style and technique, it would seem.

Does it get any better than this?

In any event, I bring up the movie poster art topic for a few reasons… One, you may not have been aware of the things covered here (Hammer horror films, the posters, the designers), and I enjoy opening up a new subject for you to head out and experience; Two, I had wanted to answer a few questions that I’m often asked (“where do you get inspiration from?”, “how did your style develop?” and “what the hell are you talking about?”); and three, hopefully, to inspire new designers who are trapped into relying on software and computers to draw for them to seek out what makes design and art so damn fun to begin with: creating it by hand! We’re already inundated by computer-generated, “cold”-feeling works that lack that human personality that shines through in all artwork. Now get out there, watch an old b-movie, seek out some wild inspiration from beyond the automotive sphere, break out the pencils and raise the bar…

"Lost between tomorrrow and yesterday..."

..."between now and then," sang Ray Davies...

And you know, that song has been stuck in my head for weeks. It's been years since I first heard the Kinks' song "Do It Again", and it kind of slid its way into the soundtrack of my life... What made me bring this up is the recent train of thought I've been on, with respect to my work, art and life in general. It seems that as things drift closer and closer to the absurd, I'm finding my inspiration in the very stuff that got me into this in the first place, which, as it turns out, is just absolutely beautiful.

Consider a few things, if you'll humor me (on what has become a long-ass post):

Like anything you find an interest in, eventually you move forward from that original starting point, and hopefully improve upon it, build your skills, and in some instances, find new inspiration someplace else. For me, my interest in art started with comic books, the MAD Magazine and CARtoons Magazine, finally leaping to fine art, namely surrealist paintings and Op-Art. While attending college, I majored in Fine Art, painting and drawing, and was thankfully exposed to a number of different styles, techniques, approaches... and I'd say that just about 90% of it was shit. Somewhere, it seems, craftsmanship was replaced by some rote technique, and "trendy" found a home in the one place it should have never been allowed.

My answer to that? I drew cars again. With the art world pandering to any two-bit hack with a brush, there was a certain peace in sketching hot rods and customs. I moved along with the times, bringing the digital tools into my work, and have continued to push the combinations of organic and electric. But every now and then, I slip into a comfortable routine, and just hit "auto pilot" for a bit... Yeah, I feel kind of guilty about that. I become the very thing that makes me rebel in the first place... And you know what? It's good. It brings about some good, I should say!

What's truly unique about this particular moment is that I have, for the first time, combined a lot of those early influences into my work at the same time. It's been amazing, and only getting better! The point here, though, isn't so much about what has BEEN inspired, but more WHAT has inspired.

I looked back at my more artsy roots, and recall the first time I saw Victor Vasarely's work "Vega-Nor", an Op-Art ("optical art") piece at the Albright-Knox.


This painting warped my young brain... not surprising, as that was its intent... After all, the point of Op-Art is to toy with one's perception, using color and line. I really learned more about using line quality from that piece than anywhere else! It was later in life, while working on a rendering that I stopped to consider just how much depth you could create on paper just with line pressure... up until then, I had a pretty good idea, but the process and idea just seemed, well, natural. Vasarely, mind you, was well ahead of his time. Granted, this whole Op-Art movement was set in motion by the German mathematician (and artist!) Josef Albers, who experimented in the '30's with color, working to create spatial effects, but Vasarely moved it forward, working to create work that all could enjoy and take part in... kind of an anti-agenda, if you will... and as for being ahead of his time? Consider that in 1953, the man stated that "In the future, we will attend projected exhibits by contemporary artists. Two days will suffice to send a large show by envelope to any point in the globe. And in the attached letter, as in some sort of partition, in cyphers and terminology, the artist will present the initial and true conditions of his creation."

Holy (expletive) premonition!!

Continuing this thought, he added that "from now on, the new technologies are here to diffuse art instantaneously to the masses." Ponder this.... the man essentially predicted email, and the use of a means to reach millions in moments, using art coupled with technology. Thinking about this over the past few weeks, it hit me that truly, I was, like the Kinks song mentioned earlier, getting back to where I started! (definitely "lost between tomorrow and yesterday, between now and then"!) Here I am, playing with technology, and bringing in the old techniques. How cool is THAT??! (of course, to keep my cred with the artsy camp, I could point out the irony of using a pop band to illustrate an awakening based in art itself... that should buy some time and sound deep, too)

Over on the opposite side of this note, we have the unseen forces that make it all happen... Beyond the lines and colors and techniques, we have the almost intangible combinations of things that inspire a work to begin with. It's that collection of inspirations that bring us to grab a pencil to begin with... all of those thoughts and items that begin to form a mental image. Each piece, no matter how insignificant on its own adds to the total. By concentrating on these smallest parts, a bigger picture forms... On that thought, I suppose that this is why I've always held a certain disdain for the Nihilistic approach, as it makes no sense at all. To simply start with nothing, and build upon nothing to acheive, well... nothing... is completely illogical. Every little spark springs forth something bigger than itself, and if you've been fortunate to surround yourself with positive, creative influences, then you're going to boldly go where no man has gone before, to to blatantly lift a phrase. Everything has some value, it has to by its very nature... Your job, then, is to not only recognize what is there, but determine its value, and find the right place for it in your work (or life!). Victor Hugo made the point that "There is no such thing as nothingness, and zero does not exist. Everything is something. Nothing is nothing."

So, I suppose, it's remotely odd that I'd look fondly upon Op-Art and Surrealism so fondly, when either could, at any moment fall over the edge into Nihilism, and eat itself. Perhaps that is what makes it so damn fascinating to me in the first place. Walking that very fine line, and doing its own thing for shits and giggles. It's the same reason that I enjoy the whole "Theater of the Absurd" movement (and its relevance to modern life)... it takes something so necessary for communication (language), and places complete distrust in it, opting for an alternative to illustrate a point... Combvine that with the paragraph above, and you'll gain insight to my values system, and just why I work as hard as I do: If you consistently think, walk and work outside of the box, you're going to find some truly unique ways to approach a creative project or problem, and the end result will be something loaded with fresh meaning.

It's no different than customizing a car, really. You simply have to look beyond what was placed in front of you (the stock car), and find a new way to express an alternate form from it. Consider that, in linguistic terms, having the same car as everyone else would be, by nature, a cliche'. While the Theater of the Absurd attempted to show an audience through an onslaught of cliche's, overly-technical jargon and essentially unconventional speech that they could elevate their communication by seeking more authentic means, and thus communication more clearly, customizing a car communicates non-verbally, and far more effectively that we are all individuals. It goes light years beyond the spoken or written word (which is why, most likely, that the photos in car magazines are so big compared to the text!) And perhaps that's a scientific explanation of why a mild custom works so well... there is beauty in simplicity, and by golly, when applied to a car, it transcends art.

What's also neat about this whole Theater of the Absurd/Op-Art/Brian's listening to the Kinks again deal is how there really is no conflict when done right... much like designing a kick-ass custom. Flow is everything! Consider this video (a visual version of "Bulbous Bouffant" by the Vestibules, a long-time favorite of mine)... Consider the communication... odd, not a lot of sense, but it entertains, and finds a rhythm:




Like any good design, it drags you along for the ride, enjoying the flow, and really not asking for a hell of a lot in return. And that, my friend, is a magical thing... When you can combine a couple of things, and just make it "happen", it's icing on the cake. Here's hoping you'll stay tuned and enjoy the ride! To say the least, I'm pretty stoked about where its all heading now, and the clients I've been fortunate enough to have are right along on this ride, making it even more fun. Like the song at the start of this entry says, "day after day I get up and I say I better do it again", and that takes us, literally, back to where we started...