When BMW commissioned Alexander Calder to paint a 3.0 CSL back in 1975, it may have been just as revolutionary an act as when an ancient Roman first saw a block of marble and decided to pay someone else to carve a statue.
Since then, countless artists on commission have turned a car into a canvas, from slick Smart cars in Berlin to reimagined Minis in Switzerland.
This Ferrari F430 Scuderia was already a work of art before it got a new paintjob courtesy of Laurence Gartel, the godfather of digital art. You may remember Gartel's work on a Tesla Roadster for Art Basel Miami, which provided a tongue-in-cheek commentary on the creeping influence of digital technology on both art and the automobile -- and some pretty cool swirly colors.
The commission for the Scud came from Artfellas, a social networking site for visual artists. Gartel, who claims to have taught Andy Warhol how to use an Amiga, joked that the newly-wrapped exotic was perfect for those who feel it's "not enough to just own a Ferrari." Apparently, supercar consumption isn't conspicuous enough for some folks.
The folks at Artfellas also make a good point about resale value: If you're investing in fine art and hoping for a record-breaking sale at Barrett-Jackson, might as well combine your two passions for a one-shot profit. Commissions are encouraged, of course.
While we cringe at the thought of art for money's sake, the actual product is best viewed with a dose of New Criticism, and without the baggage of its financial context. After all, there may never have been a Renaissance if the Medici family hadn't wanted to flaunt it.
Just a word to any future art-supercar owners: keep them in your own garages at night, but make sure the rest of us get a chance to see them, too.
Photos: Artfellas, used with permission
