An Expression of Joy: Painting Dynamics, created by the new BMW Z4. - Unique Performance: Artist Robin Rhode, Director Jake Scott and the brand new BMW Roadster.

Munich./Los Angeles. Imagine a canvas nearly as large as a football field. On
it bold, swirling shapes in primary colors like red, yellow and blue. As the
eye uncovers the rhythm of the lines, curves, circles and color splotches,
something else is revealed: these forms must have been created by tire treads!
A work of art like no other, created by an artist like no other - the new BMW
Z4 Roadster.

Over the years BMW has offered great contemporary artists the chance to express
themselves on the surfaces of a variety of the marque's sports cars. However,
the art performance created by the young South-African Robin Rhode daringly
moves beyond the concept behind the BMW Art Car Collection. Here the car is no
longer just a stunning model, but itself executing artist. "This work is an
expression of painting in action - my hope is to communicate the power and
thrill inherent in the creation of art", says Rhode. "For me, the use of an
untraditional paintbrush like a high performance car is a great way to
investigate the relationship between emotion, technology and industrial
creativity." The development of the picture, this process of formation itself
is as important as the completed oeuvre. For this reason the Z4 performance is
suggestively titled "An Expression of Joy".

The powerful and vibrant images created by the treads on the huge canvas appear
dynamic and spontaneous, as if created out of the whim of the moment. Yet each
movement had been painstakingly planned to the last detail and was the result
of an immense technical effort. Unlike the legendary "action paintings" created
by Jackson Pollock nothing was left to chance. As an artist working at the
cutting edge of performing and fine arts, Robin Rhode is an experienced planner
and capable of organizing and directing a large technical staff, but with "An
Expression of Joy" even he broke new ground. This in every respect
extraordinary work of art that was to emerge in the huge Downey Studios of Los
Angeles offered another equally challenging aspect. During the creation of the
painting, prize-winning young director Jake Scott intended to film the complete
performance for the TV campaign accompanying the new Z4 Roadster's launch in
2009.

But how was the palette of colors actually applied to the tires? How was the
BMW Z4 harnessed to Robin Rhode's specific concept? And how was Jake Scott able
to transform this dynamic act of creation into an equally fascinating film?
These questions reflect how many demanding aspects needed to be dealt with in
order to create a performance blending high tech and artistic vision.
Obviously, in the beginning was an idea. The idea was to present the innovative
next generation of the BMW Z4 in a totally unusual location. "One source of
inspiration was the seminal work of Gerhard Richter's series of paintings 'Red,
Yellow, Blue' made in 1973 for the company headquarters in Munich, Germany",
Rhode explains. Another reference point were the experimental optic animations
from the 1920's and German Expressionist Film. "The tracks left by the tires
combine the two-dimensional plane of the picture with the three-dimensional
space of the actual driving experience."

The artist began by sketches, using black finger paints on paper to draw an
outline of the general shapes and rhythms. Then Robin Rhode created the visual
equivalent of a storyboard with the exact details of each driving sequence and
the specific color used. Of course, the driver received a copy of the
storyboard that he was able to prop up in the cockpit. Since it was nearly
impossible to follow the development of the emerging tracks, given the sheer
size of the pictoral dimensions, Rhode also furnished a miniature of "An
Expression of Joy" complete with two models of the car in order to simulate
driving maneuvers in advance of the actual "paint drive".

The art performance was a challenge for the driver as well as driving the MINI
for the movie "Italian Job". Accustomed to taking high performance cars to
their limit on test tracks, here he needed to follow the exacting choreography
established by Rhode. Which meant executing the same moves back and forth
several times if the artist wasn't satisfied by the specific color intensity,
and yet keeping the tracks of the treads perfectly aligned each time. Each of
the colors was individually applied through remote-controlled nozzles mounted
near the axles of the roadster. To avoid an accidental mix of the colors due to
residue in the treads, new sets of tires were constantly being rolled in and
carefully exchanged, a feat of logistics in itself. From time to time a
sock-clad Robin Rhode literally stepped into the picture to pour on more color,
where necessary adding generous drips. An alluring aspect accidentally created
by this motorized paint brush were the sprays and splotches of color
highlighting the wheel casings of the Z4, resulting in visual traces and echoes
of the dynamics of the composition. The monumental canvas itself was composed
of individual segments that had been attached together to create a surface
measuring 100' by 200' and thus allowing the driving and painting process to be
sequenced in quadrants. This solution also benefits all future storing and
moving of the artwork. Segments of the spectacular giant picture will be on the
road in 2009, first to be shown at the Detroit Motor Show.

Robin Rhode and his team executed the project in 12 hours. That was also the
time frame essentially allotted to director Jake Scott and his crew in which to
shoot the Z4's chromatic driving movements. The challenge was that each segment
of his film for the BMW campaign needed to be "just right" the first time
around. The usual number of takes just would not possible for this kind of
recording. Scott, who is just wrapping up his first feature-length film, has
won numerous prizes for music videos and commercials. The cinematographer was
able to draw on his experience documenting rock concerts in order to deal with
the singular character of this particular live performance. The dynamic
undertaking of a car painting was captured with 45 simultaneous camera angles.
So, while Robin Rhode was watching the color choreography unfurl, Jake Scott
kept a critical eye on all the many screens monitoring the camera movements.
"It is always a gift for a filmmaker to watch an artist of any discipline
work", Scott recounts. "It is creation at its core and I have been privileged
to observe musicians, actors and now a significant, young artist. I am excited
to showcase the rarely seen link between art and technology in action."

The huge space of the studio and the giant dimensions of the lowered tub in
which the canvas had been spread out, offered exciting vantage points for the
placement of the cameras. At the same time it also meant coordinating two
highly complex and diverse projects - the actual art performance and the
shooting of a TV commercial - down to the last second. But despite this double
challenge demanding concentration and precision timing the atmosphere
surrounding all the teams involved was relaxed.

Robin Rhode

The artist, who was born in 1976 in Cape Town and now lives in Berlin, has made
a name for himself in the past few years on account of his distinctive artistic
work. His oeuvre centers on performances that have evolved from his experiences
as a highschool student growing in the Johannesburg suburbs, supplemented
culture (sports, music, and fashion) that he likes to mingle with the process
of "making art". In 2001, Rhode was nominated for South Africa's FNB Vita Art
Prize. He has been included in several group exhibitions, including
Dislocation. Image. Identity. South Africa, Centro Cultural de Maria, O'Porto,
Portugal (2002); Shelf Life, Gasworks Gallery, London, England (2001); and
Juncture, The Granary, Cape Town, and Studio Voltaire, London (2001). His solo
exhibitions include Fresh: Robin Rhode at South Africa National Gallery, Cape
Town (2000).

Jake Scott

The Englishman Jake Scott, born 1965, has been directing commercials and music
videos for over 15 years, during which time he has accumulated stellar
recognition in his field such as numerous MTV awards, a Grammy Nomination, an
Emmy and the Grand Prix at Cannes. His clients include renowned brands like
Adidas, American Express, AOL, Coca Cola and JP Morgan. The list of artists he
has worked with also reads like a Who's Who of the music industry: REM, U2,
Smashing Pumpkins and George Michaels. Jake Scott who ist the son of famous
director Sir Ridley Scott ("Alien", "Blade Runner", "Gladiator") has just
completed work on his second feature-length film, "Welcome to the Riley's" with
"Sopranos" star James Gandolfini.