It started with a rooster.
Harrod Blank said he was in high school, feeling embarrassed and bored with his white, beat-up 1965 Volkswagen Beetle when he decided to paint a rooster on the driver’s door.
Nearly 40 years later, the car is adorned with objects such as a mailbox, flowers, a globe, a weathercock, Barbie dolls and a figurine of the Pillsbury Doughboy.
Blank’s Volkswagen is now known as “Oh My God,” his first of many “art cars,” which were unveiled and displayed on Saturday at the Unexpected Art Gallery in downtown Phoenix.
The gallery held an “Art Cars in AZ” event during Veterans Day weekend, showing off car art throughout the valley.
In addition to “Oh My God,” there was Blank’s “Camera Van,” an art car covered in over 2,750 cameras that Blank collected throughout the years.
“It’s basically individuality and personal expression using the car as a canvas,” Blank said. “It became cathartic for me.”
Throughout the 1990s, Blank displayed his car art at the Burning Man festival, where he said he began noticing more art cars by different artists showing up each year.
“I realized I wasn’t alone,” Blank said. “Before, I thought I might be kind of crazy.”
Blank documented the growing popularity of art cars in his film, “Wild Wheels,” which he said he financed through many credit cards and investors. Released in 1992, the documentary was broadcast frequently on PBS, contributing to the rising popularity of art cars.
Blank’s most recent art car documentary, “Automorphosis,” was screened at the Unexpected Gallery during their art car festival.
“Harrod is a unique individual with a huge passion for art cars,” said Ben Smith, partner at Unexpected Gallery.
Smith said Blank’s attendance at Burning Man each year with his art cars may have contributed to the rising popularity of art car creators, or “cartists.”
Jose Benavides is one such “cartist” who also displayed his art car at Unexpected Gallery’s exhibition.
One of his creations is the “Madonna Car,” which is covered in license plates as well as a bust of the Virgin Mary. Using a pick-up truck as the base, Benavides collected hundreds of license plates to act as the Virgin Mary’s clothing — each of which has its own story, he said.
“It’s a unique legal document,” said Benavides. “Conceptually, it represents ordinary American people. The whole thing is an American history book.”
Benavides said the “Madonna Car” once possessed hydraulics that could be used to raise the front of the art car, giving the appearance of a standing Virgin Mary.
While the art cars were for display, photography of the various art cars were sold during Unexpected Gallery’s exhibition, including some by Benavides and Blank.
Blank said that while he is not certain whether or not he will make more art cars, he will continue to film documentaries, with his most recent being about the Burning Man festival.
“It feels good because it validates my life,” said Blank on his role in the rise of art cars. “It’s really why I live, to make things and to make dreams.”
Contact the reporter at kgafsi@asu.edu.
