I should be saying that my wonderful Bachelor of Fine Arts degree and my lifetime background in product design as an Industrial Designer has given me an appreciation for well-executed automotive form. That's true, but I've appreciated cars from my earliest years. At a price, they've made life a lot more convenient for a lot of people.
Artist’s Statement
Automobiles can represent technical or stylistic achievement, and in that sense be inspirational to observe. Certain ones can occasionally provoke a smile when they combine disparate elements. Some amuse because they are too transparently obvious as overworked marketing gimmicks. And most are an assurance that man’s remarkable ingenuity and creativity are constant throughout the generations.
Certain automobiles resonate with certain people - even those who have little interest in them per se. Seeing them again brings back the richer moments of life: the family and friends, the activities, the hopes, and the simplicity that memory so graciously provides.
Each of my pieces expresses my vision of motive vehicles as rolling art forms that combine stylistic elements, engineering prowess, and societal or cultural outlooks. My subjects were marketing-oriented temptresses rather than time capsules accurately representing their era, but they did sell and they do reflect attitudes that were commonly held or aspired to. The vehicles that I depict are the few survivors of their times, but rather than iconize them as perfection on wheels, I allow them their imperfections and scars in order to expose their direct link to us. Perfection is remarkable, but rarely holds interest.
It is these things that my work seeks to express.
Technique and Materials
Art Mechanica photographs and artwork originate in film or digital capture, and are modified or recreated in computer software using a drawing tablet and dedicated applications. The result is a 100% digital original exposed to Kodak or Fuji photographic paper for traditional processing, or sometimes giclee (inkjet) prints on specialized paper-based media or canvas.
I hope that you enjoy looking at the assortment of Art Mechanica's imagery, and reading the various stories available to you. The site is continually expanding. If you know of others who would appreciate the site, please consider letting them know about Art Mechanica.
Doug Begley
All trademarks revealed or depicted in Art Mechanica images, and all brand names used to identify vehicles depicted are the property of their respective owners. Art Mechanica and its images are nor affiliated with nor endorsed by any vehicle manufacturer.
All images and content in this website are copyrighted by Art Mechanica and may not be used without written permission. Certain stories as noted are also licensed under the Creative Commons License, and are restricted to unmodified non-commercial use with attribution to Art Mechanica.
