Details of a Woman by Auto Designer Geogetto Giugiaro

Geogetto Giugiaro, famed automotive designer, recently said "cars are like women: the difference between a gorgeous and an ordinary one is just a matter of details."

Question: With Giugiaro Design you also work for other industries. How much has the successful use of certain materials in other fields like fashion and furniture stimulated you to use them in car interiors too?

Answer: Cars are a world apart, taking inspiration from everything. Everything gives signals and suggestions that are translated into fashion trends and new aesthetic trends. Art, architecture, theater, music and therefore fashion and furniture but also the evolution of lifestyles, the attitudes and ways of behaving and being can provide an incentive for designers and encourage them.

From Auto & Design magazine's issue with the Alcantara insert

Ettore Bugatti, the French Artist turned Engineer

Ettore Bugatti, creator of the fabled Bugatti motorcars, once stated, "A technical creation can only be perfect if it is perfect from the point of view of aesthetics." As a trained artist, Bugatti felt that the elements of the car all must be fashioned in the most exquisite and balanced way. The look and feel of each part was an important as its functionality and suitability to the task. One example was his engines which he modeled sometimes as wooden bucks, so he could study the aesthetic form before committing them to metal. Each piece had to be a work of art, crafted to meet the need of the machine. The self-taught engineer was successful in his design, his racing, and his life, but sometimes the business suffered as his ideas raced ahead of the administration of the work.

A fascinating fellow who made an indelible mark on the art of the automobile.

The Car as Cultural Barometer

Author Stephen Bayley says "the car is, of course, a curiously precise tool for calibrating cultural values" in his book, Sex, Drink and Fast Cars (copyright 1986). He brings up a fascinating link between artist and entertainers and the automobile.

He discusses James Dean, Paul Newman, Steve McQueen as accomplished race drivers and "in later life, their romance with machines replaced their romance with starlets."

Of course, abstract expressionist artist Jackson Pollack died in a car crash soon after James Dean cementing the connection between cars and artists. Driving, drunk, with his mistress and her girlfriend the accident in his 1950 Oldsmobile, and his death, catapulted Pollack to the top of the art world.

In the living world rock stars are best to stay alive to reap the rewards of the car. Bruce Springsteen, Glenn Frey, the Beach Boys, Grace Jones and Chuck Berry have all done well to capture the cultural moment of the country from Cadillac Ranch to No Particular Place to Go (you know...Riding along in my automobile...).
The car may well be a precise barometer of cultural values, the new wave of high fuel costs may be the next big thing in automotive design...let's watch the actors, artists, and entertainers to see their take on the car.

Concept Cars of the Past

Concept Cars of the Past
By GARY HOFFMAN, AOL AUTOS


1938 Buick LeSabre Y-Job
It is a good thing that auto engineers have ignored many of the "innovations" found in concept cars over the last half-century. Our lives just wouldn't be the same if even a fraction of the great miscalculations of the past ever had made it into our vehicles.In the worst-case scenario, your car today could be a bubble-topped, six-wheeled freeway cruiser, complete with zebra skin and lion fur upholstery, with two rifles tucked between the front seats and a nuclear power plant at your rear. The concept car phenomenon began far more innocently than that. In 1938, legendary GM designer Harley Earl incorporated power windows and a power-driven convertible top into his Buick "Y-Job." Considered the first concept car , it was a straightforward demonstration of new technologies, not a new production model.But once they no longer had to design real cars all the time, big three designers felt a new freedom to indulge their creativity with concept cars. As a result, the 1950s and early 1960s became the heyday of wacky concept cars. Imaginations soared as high as the newly built jet fighters roaring overhead.
1961 Ford Gyron
With that inspiration, it's no surprise that aerodynamic motifs, including outlandish fins, would reach perfection on concept cars before gracing production cars later in the decade. They remind us how even a silly, overly ostentatious treatment can be carried along in the slipstream of a new design, if only for a few years.At one point, Ford's fascination with new technologies found expression in a streamlined, two-wheeled concept car shaped like a flattened cigar, the Gyron. Designers thought the Gyron's two-wheel stance and its built-in gyroscope would improve its cornering.In their headlong pursuit of gadgetry, they offered an infrared "snooperscope" as an accessory that would help the driver see in bad weather. According to a Ford news release of the time, the 1961 Gyron concept car was also equipped with a microphone at its rear, presumably so the "oohs" and "aahs" of passers-by could be easily heard inside.The propulsion would have to come from a fuel cell system, since no internal combustion engine known at the time would fit into it.Jet cockpits inspired concept car designers as well, fueling their obsession with developing a whole new body style rivaling the convertible. Plexiglas, introduced in the 1930s, gave them the perfect material for the job. Assorted canopies, bubbles and clear roof cutouts soon appeared on concept cars at auto shows, and a few modest versions even appeared on production vehicles.
1958 Ford Nucleon
No one seemed too worried about the structural integrity of the new body style. "If you have a Plexiglas roof panel above you, it's not going to be as strong as a solid roof panel," says Bob Casey, curator of transportation at The Henry Ford in Dearborn, Mich. Lives were no doubt saved when a more robust substitute, the sunroof, took hold a few years later.The budding nuclear age provided its own brand of inspiration, without leaving much fallout in its wake, fortunately. In 1958, Ford produced a mock-up of the Ford Nucleon, envisioning a nuclear energy source as its power plant and a range of up to 5,000 miles without recharging. A 1962 Ford concept car, the six-wheeled Seattle-ite, was likewise supposed to be nuclear-powered. Designers only produced it as a three-eighths model, and left the actual nuclear power to the imagination (it has thankfully remained there).
1956 Chrysler Norseman
Concept car designers also loved cantilevers, pushing the limit on how far a roof, steering column or structural component could extend without a direct means of support. The 1956 Chrysler Norseman, was perhaps the pre-eminent example. It was designed to offer panoramic views from the interior, ostensibly making it the perfect vehicle for traveling the nation's new freeways.Its cantilevered roof dispensed with both the A-pillar at the front of the passenger compartment and the B-pillar at its center. It rested lightly on the windshield upfront. "I can't think of a hardtop production vehicle that got rid of the A-pillar," said Barry Dressler, manager of the Walter P. Chrysler Museum in Auburn Hills, Mich."You have to wonder about the structure," he said. "If you were riding over a rough road, any forces on the roof structure would have caused you to crack the glass in the windows." That never happened to the Norseman. It sank with the ill-fated S.S. Andrea Doria ocean liner on July 25, 1956, on its maiden trip to the U.S. from the Ghia studios in Italy, where Chrysler had many of its concept cars built.The Mercury XM Turnpike Cruiser was also designed for the new sensation of freeway driving. This concept car incorporated glass cut-out roofs, with just a single solid band of metal extending over the middle of the passenger compartment to provide at least the appearance of support. The cut-outs supposedly created the illusion that the roof was floating on air.While not necessarily ill-advised, some concept cars simply never panned out. On Ford's 1967 Allegro concept car, the steering column jutted out from the very center of the interior compartment, half way between the driver and passenger, and then took a sharp left over to the driver.A forerunner, the 1956 Ford Mystère, had "a steering wheel that can be positioned in front of either front-seat occupant," according to an auto writer at the time. With just a few more contortions, it might have reached all the way to the backseat drivers (who probably wanted it most of all).
1956 Packard Predictor
Through much of the 1950s, concept car designers seemed absolutely intent on making entering and exiting a vehicle easier. For example, the 1956 Buick Centurion featured seats that automatically slid backwards when the driver climbed aboard.A number of concept cars offered swivel seats that swung out toward the occupant or a roof panel that retreated when the door was opened. Their structural integrity in a crash was just as dubious as the new Plexiglas roofs.In 1956, the Packard Predictor concept car had rooftop doors "that rolled up like the cover of a rolltop desk," as one automotive writer that year put it. That same year, the Oldsmobile Golden Rocket boasted a hinged version of a bubble-top canopy for the same purpose.The 1950s were breathtakingly politically incorrect by today's standards. At the Chicago Auto Show in 1951, the now-defunct Kaiser company displayed a Safari four-door sedan with black and white zebra fur and lion pelts in its interior.
1950 Kaiser Safari
If there were an award for an "over-the-top" auto show presentation, it would go to TV cowboy Dale Robertson, who starred in the "Tales of Wells Fargo" during the 1950s. In 1958, GM went on the auto show circuit with its "Wells Fargo" concept car.In Pictures: Cool Concept Cars of the PastMore show car than concept car, it perfectly captured the decade's glorious excesses. It had cowhide carpeting "fur-side up," a built-in gun rack holding two Winchester 94s between driver and passenger, and pistol holders in the interior door panels.

Maserati of Baltimore at BWI Airport to Support our Troops

On Monday, 30 June at 8:30 p.m. a beautiful new, red 2008 Maserati Quattroporte was installed on the upper level, Southwest Terminal. This vehicle is on display until 12 September to promote a two day fundraising event ,“The Concorso,” that benefits USO-Metro. For more information and to buy tickets to the events, visit:

http://www.usometrodc.org/eventsconcorso.htm

and

http://ConcorsoForUSO.com/

and

http://MOBexotics.com

2008 Charity Event is BIG!!!!! Help the USO...and have a great time!

“The Concorso: Celebrating the Art of the Automobile” charity event for the USO
Baltimore, Maryland
September 6th and 7th, 2008
http://concorsoforuso.com/

BUY TICKETS NOW, Attendance is Limited!

“The Concorso: Celebrating the Art of the Automobile” is proud to announce our fourth annual event and two days of fund raising, parties, music, and food to benefit the USO, supporting our men and women in uniform. The theme this year is Celebrating the Art of the Automobile and will explore the artistic and sculptural forms of the transportation industry. This was formally the Concorso Italia and is still lead by its founders, Jonathan Kendall and Dave Born.

Jonathan Kendall started this event in October of 2005 as a way to raise money to help our community in the Baltimore-Washington area. The first event was attended by about (100) people, (12) cars and a beautiful automotive art display together in Annapolis. 2006 Followed a move to the famous City Dock in Annapolis, (100) people, (25) cars along with Jonathan’s beautiful photographic style of art. In 2007 the event took a huge leap to Little Italy in Baltimore where there were (75) cars and motorcycles, (250) ticket holders, (3000) spectators. For 2008 a plan has been put together to continue to grow the event and to benefit a new worthwhile charity. This year Jonathan and Dave have chosen to work with the USO as the beneficiary.

Saturday, September 6th starts with a fun “Rally” driving event through the Baltimore County, Maryland countryside that ends in historic Little Italy with an awards ceremony.

Saturday continues with the evening event at the Signature Flight Support “Wings and Wheels” Reception to be held at their modern BWI general aviation facility. Signature Flight Support, a BBA Aviation Company, is the world's largest fixed base operation (FBO) and distribution network for business aviation services. There will be a display of private jets, military aircraft and other personal aircraft as well as approximately (80) exotic and super cars including foreign and domestics such as Ferrari, Porsche, Maserati, Lamborghini, Ford, Bentley, Acura, Aston Martin and Bugatti. The cars will be parked on the tarmac with the aircraft and inside the hanger. Ticket holders will enjoy wonderful assortment of international cuisines, wine and drinks. There will be a silent and live auction to benefit the charities. And the event will feature live entertainment as well as a display of automotive and aircraft art.

Sunday’s event is The Concorso and will be in downtown Baltimore at the Cordish Company’s exciting Power Plant Live! located at Market Place and Water Street. The Cordish Company is a national real estate development and entertainment operating company based in Baltimore and founded in 1910. Over (100) exotic cars will be on display for the general public to view. There will be a private lounge, Angel’s Rock Bar, where ticket holders will find food and drinks for the afternoon. This will be our formal car judging segment and also include live entertainment, auctions and art displays.

Further event details, ticket information, sponsorship opportunities, auction donations and general info should be directed to:

Dave Born, Co-Chairman
daveborn@kw.com
443-421-0832
443-782-2283 Fax.

The USO is a private, nonprofit organization whose mission is to support the troops by providing morale, welfare and recreation-type services to our men and women in uniform. The original intent of Congress — and enduring style of USO delivery — is to represent the American people by extending a touch of home to the military. The USO currently operates more than 130 centers worldwide, including ten mobile canteens located in the continental United States and overseas. Overseas centers are located in Germany, Italy, the United Arab Emirates, Japan, Qatar, Korea, Afghanistan, Guam, and Kuwait. Service members and their families visit USO centers more than 5.3 million times each year. The USO is the way the American public supports the troops.

Click to http://usometro.org/site/eventsconcorso.htm to buy tickets.

BUY TICKETS NOW, Attendance is Limited!

Interview with fotog Patrick Williams

I met Patrick Williams at the Festival of Speed event in St. Petersburg. His photography is a wonderful example of finding beauty in the details of the automobile. Give his interview a look and click to his site http://patwilphoto.com/ for the images, email him at Partick@patwilphoto.com.

Jonathan: Describe how you “Celebrate the Art of the Automobile™” in your work?

Patrick: "In my work I capture the inherent beauty the designers saw on the drawing board, and the textures, finishes and details incorporated into the final production vehicle. I celebrate everything about automobiles in my work - from the lines and motion of a beautifully restored collector's piece, to the rust and peeling paint of a 'junker' in a scrapyard. Every automobile - no matter how exotic, amazing, undesirable, 'plain jane', or run-down it may be - has beauty to me....and I spend ridiculous amounts of my time studying, capturing and producing these images for the world to see."

Jonathan: How do you see the automobile fitting into today’s culture?

Patrick: "Never mind the transportation aspect of it - I see an enormous 'Art Appreciation 101' class at every car show. How often do you see the average person stand in front of a painting or a piece of art in a gallery and say, "Wow, that is amazing!"? How often do you see a man actually stand there - actually take the time to look long enough to stop his motion? Hardly ever. Now, take that same man to a car show, and he will stand in front of a vintage Porsche for twenty minutes studying the simple clean lines of the cockpit. Most nineteen year old kids won't have a thing to do with fine art, but you can find them by the hundreds at a NOPI show - standing mesmerized by the custom paint job on a custom Mitsubishi. These cars are art - sculpture, paint, light, sound and movement all in one. I believe one of the automobiles' 'jobs' in our culture is to bring a sense of art appreciation to pople who may not ever step into a traditional gallery."

Jonathan: Give me a favorite quote on the automobile.

Patrick: "Toothless inspiration from a junkyard collector, "That car yer takin' pictures of was the first 'merican made model with pow'r wind'rs AND pow'r seats, and they only made 500 with uh au-to-matic transmission package....and I just bought her for $400.". I have heard many collectors of fine autos utter similar stats and claims to rarity of their automobiles, but for some reason (?), this one just stood out to me."

Patrick: Thanks Jonathan (thank you Patrick!)

Huge Success for Charity Event

Our charity automotive concours and art exhibit was a huge event again this year raising over US$12,000.00. A very impressive showing of exotic Italian automobiles were on hand for our Celebrating the Art of the Automobile spectacular. The Children's Guild (www.ChildrensGuild.org) was the recipient of the proceeds. The Guild supports the unique education of special need kids in the state of Maryland. We are honored to support this organization and give the time, energy and resources for the event.

September 17 Special Event in Annapolis Maryland

LUXURY CAR SHOW AND ART EXHIBIT TO BENEFIT LOCAL CHILDREN’S ORGANIZATION

Annapolis, Md. The Children’s Guild, in conjunction with The Mid-Atlantic Region of The Ferrari Club of America and Jonathan Kendall Designs, will present a charity event, “The Concorso Italia de Annapolis,” featuring a collection of more than 20 luxury Italian cars. The event will be held Sunday, Sept. 17 from 1–4 p.m. at the Annapolis City Dock. All proceeds will benefit The Children’s Guild, a local organization providing educational services for children with special needs.

The cars will be judged for best in show from 1–2 p.m., followed by a wine and hors d’oeuvres reception at Phillips Seafood Restaurant (12 Dock Street, Annapolis, Md.) from 2–4 p.m.

In addition to admiring the cars on display, attendees can view an exhibit of automobile photography, entitled “Celebrating the Art of the Automobile,” by professional photographer and automobile enthusiast Jonathan Kendall. Additionally, an auction will be held as part of the event.

A “pit pass” costs $60 and includes one admission to see the collection of fine automobiles and photography exhibit, participate in the auction, and enjoy hors d’oeuvres, beer and wine. All tickets must be purchased in advance. Tickets are limited. For more information or to purchase tickets, contact Jenn Benhoff at 410-444-3800, ext. 114, or e-mail ferrarishow@childrensguild.org.

###

The Children’s Guild is a not-for-profit organization that has existed for more than 50 years to meet the needs of children with emotional and behavioral challenges through providing unique educational programs, stimulating environments, and integrated approaches to helping children build successful lives. The Children’s Guild has campuses in Annapolis, Baltimore and Prince Georges County as well as several group homes.

The Ferrari Club of America is the world’s largest Ferrari club with nearly 5,000 strong members and active regions throughout the U.S. and Canada. Members enjoy exciting track events, an internationally recognized Concours d'Elegance and a wide variety of year-round social activities that draw participants from around the world.

In the News...

I am honored to have an article written about my photography in The Annapolis Capital newspaper today. Author Teri Winslow did an awesome job of visiting my gallery and interviewing friends and clients. Please click here for a Web-look or better yet call the office and we'll send you a color copy.

Selected for Juried Exhibit in New York!

“Celebrating the Art of the Automobile” Photographer Jonathan Kendall
is selected for New York’s Tri County Arts Council’s Small Works Exposition

New York, June 15, 2006 – Photographer Jonathan Kendall has been selected by juror, curator, collector, and art dealer Lori B Bookstein of New York City to participate in the 2006 Small Works Exposition. The exhibit will take place from July 7th through August 25th, 2006 at the Tri County Arts Council in Cobleskill, New York. Mr. Kendall’s selected work is entitled “Ferrari with Flowers in Palm Beach” and comes from the Reflections works for which Jonathan has become well-known.

Salvador Dali, the artist, poet, genius, and showman once said, “Until the invention of machines there had never been perfect things, and man had never seen anything so beautiful or poetic as a nickel-plated engine." Photographer Jonathan Kendall captures the poetic beauty of the machine in his “Celebrating the Art of the Automobile” collection.

Jonathan’s work is inspired by the passion, craftsmanship, and freedom of the automobile – The Art of the Beautiful Machine.

The automobile has arguably been the most important machine of the past 100 years, generating freedom and mobility while driving commerce and connecting people. Its seductive qualities often have been the closest many people get to art and sculpture. Photographer/designer Jonathan Kendall has had a long affair with the automobile, including the passion, the freedom, the speed, and detailing of fine machinery for over 40 years.

Although renowned for his large format photographs of the intricate details of the machine, he also has the eye for small intimate pieces exacting the details of illumination and mirror-like quality. Jonathan’s collection of exceptionally detailed, photographs highlight the beauty and the detailed intricacy of the world’s most desirable automobiles. Mr. Kendall has an interesting perspective for exploring the fine, intricate detail of the inner workings of an engine or the seductive curves of a hand-formed body. The allusion to the human anatomy and physical form are sometimes unmistakable and striking. In other pieces, the light and reflections bring the forms to life and convey meaning to these inanimate objects of desire.

Aldous Huxley once said, “Speed is the only entirely novel sensation of the twentieth century.” Mr. Kendall’s romance with speed has run through years of automobile racing, collecting, and admiring the fine sculpture and engineering of fabled cars. Designers and visionaries such as Enzo Ferrari, Ettore Bugatti, Ferdinand Porsche, and Battista “Pinnin” Farina have seen this world of motion, style and freedom as art and form. Mr. Kendall has found a new opportunity to express the splendor of exotic automobile and the artisans who construct them.

About Jonathan Kendall Design

Jonathan Kendall Design (www.JonathanKendallDesign.com) provides photography, art, fashion, and design for automotive-inspired style, exhibitions and environments. The lifestyle of the automotive enthusiast is enhanced through the introduction of unique, exclusive design pieces. Jonathan Kendall strives to meet this need through stationary art, fashion for men and women, multimedia Immersion Garages, and functional art and sculpture focused on the aficionado. Our blog’s at ArtOfTheAutomobile.blogspot.com, come in anytime for the latest info.

Contact: Eileen Borosky, Marketing Specialist, Jonathan Kendall Design
+1 410 798 9003 or Eileen@JonathanKendallDesign.com.

About Tri County Arts Council

Tri County Arts Council (www.tricountyarts.org) is a multi-arts organization that emphasizes the visual and performing arts. The Arts Council encourages and promotes the work of emerging and established artists through public participation in and appreciation of the arts through exhibitions, educational programs, performance events, art and cultural grants, and other special events designed to reach a diverse audience. The Arts Council is supported, in part, with funds from the New York State Council of the Arts, a state agency.

Contact: The Arts Council at +1 518-254-0611, tricountyarts@verizon.net, and www.tricountyarts.org.

###

Ferrari Club of America Event was Awesome!

I want to thank Doug Teague, Dave Born and the entire FCA team that executed an incredible event last week. It was a pleasure and an honor to be a part of this event. The entire Mid Atlantic region and the club and all its members deserve to be proud. Jonathan

Ferrari Club of America National Event is ON!

The highlight of the Ferrari Club of America is on in Chantilly, Virginia just west of Washington, DC. At the gorgeous Westfield Marriott, this years event has started with a bang! Bigger and better than ever, Regional Director Dave Born and his team (I am proud to say that I am one of his team!) has created a sold-out show of top cars and fascinating people. I have an exhibit of my work in the Mercado and will be at the show through Sunday and hope to have some interesting blog updates and audioblogs from the field. Stay tuned! Jonathan

Young Automotive Artist

I met a young automotive fanatic who also happens to be quit a good poet. In fact, he is so talented i heard that his teachers read some of his work in school and thought he had plagiarized it! To prove to the world that he is the "real thing", I asked that he create an automotive-inspired piece about the Art of the Automobile. Here it is for your enjoyment.

FERRARI by Jeffrey Lin

Ferraris fast and sleek,
550 Maranello, fast and racy,
275 GTB/4 antique but sleek,
All Ferraris are fast and racy,

Ferraris, white and red,
The old and the new,
Always beautiful,
Always fast and racy,

Always sleek and aerodynamic,
Never disappointing,
Always a sports cars company,
Ferrari will remain in the running.

Zagato does it again!

This time with a 575 Maranello. Check out Cars.blogs.ca. for a look! Excellent project car. I want one. :)

Power and Beauty and the "Mobility Appliance"

An interesting article in the WSJ on Tuesday looked at the relationship between culture and fuel economy. The argument is that Henry Ford was more interested in the automobile as a Mobility Appliance and he worked to reduce the cost by improving efficiency of manufacture i.e. any color as long as it's black and the assembly line. The General Motors competing vision was the automobile was more than an appliance, it was an expression of the owner, style, art, status symbol, and freedom all rolled into one.

Of course, if you are reading this you must subscribe to the latter, GM model. The issue is, in the GM vision the cars must get bigger, more powerful, more distinctive, and more expensive to win the style race. The Mobility Appliances are now econo-boxes with wheels. No style, plastic, cheap, and scream "lower middle class", and "I am a cheap bastard"! So, the argument goes, our "culture" will have to change to allow us to utilize fuel efficient cars.

Why can't the industry apply the same design, style, and manufacturing to economical cars that appeal to the senses. Make a supercar a high-mileage vehicle! Use styling cues, color, and design that is art! Make a diesel Porsche (after all Audi is racing and WINNING with a diesel prototype racer!!!) Why do the fuel efficient cars have to look like some weird, oddly styled hunk of crap (all due respect to Toyota and Smart).

I have a request to the manufacturers...get a design team can make fuel economy beauty and then your biggest concern will be what to do with all the revenue!!!

Sometimes life can be so simple! :) Jonathan

Author Tom Wolfe says...

In his book The Kandy-Kolored Tangerine-Flake Streamline Baby (1965), Tom Wolfe says, "(Cars) are freedom, style, sex, power, motion, color - everything is right there." How true!!!

Charlotte Event a Success!

Thank you Allison Hertzler of Green Rice, Donato Bonacquisto of Foreign Cars Italia, and Bob Saville, President of the Porsche Club of America’s Carolina Region & Exclusive Motors, for their help in an awesome event in North Carolina. Porsches and Maserati's were the most prevalent marques in attendance and about 200 people came throughout the evening. Allison was a gracious hostess at her exceptional gallery, Green Rice. You must see her when you are in Charlotte.

If you attended and have any questions or woukd like to purchase a piece, please feel free to call us at 410-798-9003.

Foreign Cars Italia (www.foreigncarsitalia.com) is an authorized dealer in the Carolinas offering the Charlotte market with an exotic automobiles including Ferrari, Maserati and Aston Martin. Exclusive Motors (www.exclusive-motors.com), also located in Charlotte, specializes in pre-owned Porsches and is the authorized dealer for the Beck Speedster and Chamonix Spyder.

Ferrari Maserati of Washington Anniversary Event

Saturday night featured the DC-car-cultures most coveted event - the invitation-only Anniversary Party for Ferrari Maserati of Washington (FMoW)/Lamborghini Washington in Sterling, Virginia. A wonderful time was had by all as the "automotive-social" mingle, eat, drink and talk car-talk. On hand were a number of special automotive masterpieces including a 1952 Ferrari 212 designed and built by Pinninfarina of Turino, Italy. Also a very rare, one of only two, 1954 Maserati Coupes styled again by Pinninfarina. The Maserati is from the collection of William Marriott, the hotel magnate, and it's display was appreciated by all the attendees.

Allie Ashe, racer, business mogul and owner of FMoW was on hand to greet the crowd, be the master of ceremonies, and present the prizes for the evening. The event was capped by a live feed of the Formula 1 championship race live from Melbourne, Australia. Don't miss it next year!

Go to AutoBlog.com for a Good Time

Jeff Nesh and the good folks at AutoBlog have an awesome blog for everything auto...

Including a nice review of yours truly at A New Blog Alert. Check it out!

Speed TV.com Highlight

We received a mention at SpeedTV.com for the April 7th event in Charlotte.

Also a quote from Joe Tripp, a Senior Editor at Speed TV, "...the images are so compelling, I'm running this as the top automotive story today..."

WOW! Thank you Joe!

Jonathan

Dada Exhibit in Washington DC

My oldest son, and I went to the Dada exhibition at the East Wing of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC. One word: GO! A very fun and provocative exhibit with a fascinating look at the world around the time of World War I. The fear and anticipation of the industrial age is a common theme. Of course, as with most change, the reality of the industrial age was to progress mankind and the abject fear and loathing was unnecessary. The fear and loathing for war, hunger, hatred and fear was to reach an all-time high in the war-to-end-all-wars. One artist in particular, Francis Picabia made an effort to bring mechanical drawings to the status of fine art. His point was to show the poor relationship between man and machine, but in reality portrays the clean beauty of the mechanical. Indeed he sees the clear masculine and feminine shapes and details. The sexual innuendo is obvious...just as it is today in the Art of the Automobile.

In the context of 2006, the beauty of the machine is not a metaphor for war or the impersonal factory oppressing man. It can be viewed as an artistic expression. The details of an engine are as expressive as a sculpture...a working sculpture able to transport man on a physical network of roads. Bring people together in flesh and blood, allows them to meet and touch and talk in person. This is a beautiful thing brought to us by a beautiful machine.

Compare the 1920 Dada with the 1950 automotive stylist with the Art of the Automobile and let me know what you think. Jonathan

New Exhibit in Charlotte NC's NoDa Art District

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:


“Celebrating the Art of the Automobile”
An Exhibition of Photographs by Jonathan Kendall
At Charlotte, NC Art Gallery


Charlotte, NC, March 6, 2006 – Salvador Dali, the artist, poet, genius, and showman once said, “Until the invention of machines there had never been perfect things, and man had never seen anything so beautiful or poetic as a nickel-plated engine." Photographer Jonathan Kendall captures the poetic beauty of the machine in his “Celebrating the Art of the Automobile” exhibition at Green Rice Gallery for one-showing on the evening of Friday, April 7, 2006, 6:00 pm in the NoDa art district of Charlotte, North Carolina. This event is a great way to highlight an automobile-centric weekend in Charlotte along with the Charlotte Auto Fair at the Speedway. Exotic, rolling art that is expected to attend are from marques Ferrari, Maserati and Porsche with owners, representatives and clubs in the Carolina region invited.

Jonathan’s work is inspired by the passion, craftsmanship, and freedom of the automobile – The Art of the Beautiful Machine.

The automobile has arguably been the most important machine of the past 100 years, generating freedom and mobility while driving commerce and connecting people. Its seductive qualities often have been the closest many people get to art and sculpture. Photographer/designer Jonathan Kendall has had a long affair with the automobile, including the passion, the freedom, the speed, and detailing of fine machinery for over 40 years.

A new collection of exceptionally detailed, large format photographs highlights the beauty and the detailed intricacy of the world’s most desirable automobiles. Mr. Kendall has an interesting perspective for exploring the fine, intricate detail of the inner workings of an engine or the seductive curves of a hand-formed body. He explodes these images to a surreal size of three, five or even six feet high so the craftsmanship is exposed and brought to a hyper-real state where the most minuscule element is evident. The allusion to the human anatomy and physical form are sometimes unmistakable and striking. In other pieces, the light and reflections bring the forms to life and convey meaning to these inanimate objects of desire.

Aldous Huxley once said, “Speed is the only entirely novel sensation of the twentieth century.” Mr. Kendall’s romance with speed has run through years of sports car and stock car racing, collecting, and admiring the fine sculpture and engineering of fabled cars. Designers and visionaries such as Enzo Ferrari, Ettore Bugatti, Ferdinand Porsche, and Battista “Pinnin” Farina have seen this world of motion, style and freedom as art and form. Mr. Kendall has found a new opportunity to express the splendor of exotic automobile and the artisans who construct them.

This unique event will be a part of the NoDa Gallery Crawl and the Green Rice Gallery commitment to bringing fresh and provocative artistic ideas to the community. For directions to Green Rice Gallery, click to www.Green-Rice.com or call Allison at 704-355-0300.

The exhibition is co-presented with the assistance of Donato Bonacquisto of Foreign Cars Italia & Ferrari Club of America member, and Bob Saville, President of the Porsche Club of America’s Carolina Region & Exclusive Motors. Foreign Cars Italia (www.foreigncarsitalia.com) is an authorized dealer in the Carolinas offering the Charlotte market with an exotic automobiles including Ferrari, Maserati and Aston Martin. Exclusive Motors (www.exclusive-motors.com), also located in Charlotte, specializes in pre-owned Porsches and is the authorized dealer for the Beck Speedster and Chamonix Spyder. The Porsche Club of America (www.pca.org) is the largest sports car club in the world. The Ferrari Club of America (www.ferrariclubofamerica.org) has close to 5,000 members in North America.

About Green Rice Designs & Gallery

Green Rice Gallery (www.Green-Rice.com ) is a fixture in Charlotte’s Historic Arts District, NoDa (www.NoDa.org). Located at 451 East 36th Street, Charlotte, NC 28205, at the corner of North Davidson & 36th Streets. Opened by Allison Hertzler in the Summer of 2003, it has grown quickly into a 5,100 square foot, historic building in the heart of NoDa. The gallery features a unique blend of fine, fabric, and photographic arts.

Contact: Allison Hertzler, Owner, Green Rice Designs
+1 704 344 0300 or designs@green-rice.com

About Jonathan Kendall Design

Jonathan Kendall Design (www.JonathanKendallDesign.com) provides photography, art, fashion, and design for automotive-inspired style, exhibitions and environments. The lifestyle of the automotive enthusiast is enhanced through the introduction of unique, exclusive design pieces. Jonathan Kendall strives to meet this need through stationary art, fashion for men and women, multimedia Immersion Garages, and functional art and sculpture focused on the aficionado. Our blog’s at ArtOfTheAutomobile.blogspot.com, come in anytime for the latest info.

Contact: Eileen Borosky, Marketing Specialist, Jonathan Kendall Design
+1 410 798 9003 or Eileen@JonathanKendallDesign.com.

Foreign Cars Italia – 5216 E. Independence Blvd. Charlotte, NC 28212
Contact: Donato Bonacquisto, Events Director & Sales Consultant
+1 704 535 7100 or dbonacquisto@foreigncarsitalia.com

Exclusive Motors – 4617 E. Independence Blvd. Charlotte, NC 28212
Contact: Bob Saville, President & Co-Owner
+ 1 704 568 8118 or bob@exclusive-motors.com

###

Interview with Sterling Powell of Citilife in St. Pete

This is an interview with Sterling Powell of Citilife magazine, a beautiful publication concentrating on the art, fashion, culture and life in St. Petersburg, Florida. Take a look at the web site http://www.citilifemagazine.com/.

Sterling is an artist, publisher and all-around good-guy with a great vision for his work and his city. Give a listen and when in St. Pete check out Citilife magazine.

Email him at sterling@citilifemagazine.com or call 727-821-5105

Interview with Donato Bonacquisto

Here's my friend Donato at Foreign Cars Italia (FCI) in Greensboro and Charlotte, North Carolina. He has a great passion for automobiles and a good eye for style. His background is with Speed TV and is currently working with FCI to promote the dealerships. If you are looking for a Ferrari, Maserati, or Aston Martin, or any exotic, give him a call at 704 535 7100.

Genius Salvador Dali quotes on the Art of the Automobile

"Until the invention of machines there had never been perfect things, and man had never seen anything so beautiful or poetic as a nickel-plated engine."

Artist, author, poet, showman, genius Salvador Dali (1904-1989)

"V12 Ferrari Intake"

Photograph by Jonathan Kendall

copyright 2006 all rights reserved.

Available from JonathanKendall.com

Unique Automotive Art Exhibit Opens at Ferrari Maserati of Washington

“Celebrating the Art of the Automobile”
A Collection of Photographs by Jonathan Kendall


Dulles, VA, February 21, 2006 – As author Stephen Bayley wrote in 1987, “A generation seduced by the romance of the machine found itself lost in awe at the urgent beauty of these exciting, dynamic theorems in metal.” The automobile has arguably been the most important invention of the past 100 years, generating freedom and mobility while driving commerce and connecting people. Its seductive qualities often have been the closest people get to art and sculpture. Photographer/designer Jonathan Kendall has had a long affair with the automobile, including the passion, the freedom, the speed, and detailing of fine machinery for over 40 years. This excitement is being expressed in his artwork on display in Dulles, Virginia.

A new collection of exceptionally detailed, large format photographs highlights the beauty and the detailed intricacy of the world’s most desirable automobiles is the featured exhibit at Ferrari Maserati of Washington in the Metropolitan Washington, DC-Baltimore area. Mr. Kendall has an interesting perspective for exploring the fine, intricate detail of the inner working of an engine or the seductive curves of a hand-formed body. He explodes these images to a surreal size of three, five or even six feet high so the craftsmanship is exposed and brought to a hyper-real state where the most minuscule element is evident. The allusion to the human anatomy and physical form are sometimes unmistakable and striking. In other pieces, the light and reflections bring the forms to life and convey meaning to these inanimate objects of desire.

Aldous Huxley once said, “Speed is the only entirely novel sensation of the twentieth century.” Mr. Kendall’s romance with speed has run through years of sports car and stock car racing, collecting, and admiring the fine sculpture and engineering of fabled cars. Designers and visionaries such as Enzo Ferrari, Ettore Bugatti, Ferdinand Porsche, and Battista “Pinnin” Farina have seen this world of motion, style and freedom as art and form. Mr. Kendall has found a new opportunity to express the splendor of exotic automobile and the artisans who construct them.

“Throughout the ages, artisans have crafted metal, leather, wood and glass into industrial art, mechanisms that serve mankind and touch the soul. The art of the machine.” Said Jonathan Kendall, artisan, entrepreneur and photographer. “As a child, I was captivated by the freedom, the dynamism, and the style of the automobile. My earliest memories are of my mothers’ 1956 Ford Station Wagon in two-tone red-and-white. My father had a 1965 Mustang, while my best friends father had one of the most perfectly designed automobiles of all time, the 1967 Ferrari 275 GTB/4…it changed my life.” Mr. Kendall saw the beauty in the details of the machine. “The craftsmanship that went into the finest automobiles rivals the premium art work and sculpture. The complex detailing, the engineering outcomes are expressed in every part and every corporeal curve that is crafted to bring the car closer to perfection.”

This exhibit is Mr. Kendall’s first permanent display. “I am honored to be invited to exhibit at Ferrari Maserati of Washington and Lamborghini Washington. They have been very supportive of my work and it is a thrill to have my photographs on the same floor as the most desirable cars in the world.” Mr. Kendall goes on. “This is testament to Ferrari Maserati of Washington’s commitment to the automotive enthusiast whether they can afford an exotic car or not. The community can visit the showroom and the exhibit, and can see for themselves the power and art of the automobile.”

The exhibition is open now through Summer 2006 at Ferrari Maserati of Washington, Lamborghini Washington located at 45235 Towlern Place in Dulles, VA 20166 (about 10 minutes from Dulles Airport, just off of Route 28N) Phone: 703-478-3606, website: http://www.fwash.com/. The hours are Monday through Friday from 9:00 am to 6:00 pm and Saturdays from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm. All the art work is available in very limited quantities to the collector and the public. Please feel free to ask for Redding Finney, Director of Advertising/Special Events, if you have any questions on-site, or call Jonathan Kendall Design at 410-798-9003.

About Jonathan Kendall Design

Jonathan Kendall Design LLC (http://www.jonathankendalldesign.com/) provides photography, art, fashion, and design for automotive-inspired sale, exhibitions and environments. The lifestyle of the automotive enthusiast is enhanced through the introduction of unique, exclusive design pieces. Jonathan Kendall strives to meet this need through stationary art, fashion for men and women, multimedia Immersion Garages, and functional art and sculpture focused on the aficionado.

Contact: Eileen Borosky, Marketing Specialist, Jonathan Kendall Design
+1 410 798 9003 or Eileen@JonathanKendallDesign.com.

V12 Ferrari Webers. copyright 2006. All rights reserved. 

The Art of the Automobile

Welcome to the Art of the Automobile.

I have been busy photographing the design elements...the details...the DNA of the automobile for a number of years. My work has been purchased by a select group of collectors...the response has been very rewarding and it is time to expose the photography to a wider audience.

The elements of the automobile is the true art of the automobile. The details that the craftsman of the mechine slave over make the beautiful cars unique and our passion. Most artists concentrate on the "whole" and ignore the parts...but that is where the beauty of the detail exists...the Art of the Automobile.

Browse over to the Web site for a quick look...www.JonathanKendallDesign.com...

I am traveling to the Festival of Speed in St. Petersburg. An update will follow next week. In the meantime, feel free to let me know what's up with your automotive art...

My podcast, the Art of the Automobile, will be firing-up soon...stay tuned. And thanks for stopping by...

Lot's more to come. Jonathan