Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey, June 9, 2003 ... It's a calculated
collision of
auto and art. The creative expressions of life and
contemporary culture painted
on BMW racecars and autos by such
famous artists as Andy Warhol and Alexander
Calder speed back
into pop culture as BMW Art Car Miniatures.
The collection will feature 15 miniatures in all, with timed releases
beginning
now through 2005. Alexander Calder and Jenny Holzer's
masterpieces are
currently available at BMW dealers worldwide.
Art Car Miniatures designed by
Andy Warhol and Sanro Chia will
be released in mid-June.
The idea for the BMW Art Cars was born in 1975 when Hervé
Poulain, the
auctioneer and driver of the 24-hour race at Le
Mans, was looking for a link
between art and motor racing. He
had his BMW 3.0 CSL designed as a piece of art
by his friend,
American artist Alexander Calder.
Calder's design of the BMW 3.0 CSL was the first Art Car ever, and
one of his
last works of art before he died in 1976. An engineer
and sculptor, Calder's
challenge was creating his own
"artistic stamp" on something that he did not
produce
and sculpt himself. His rendition of the BMW Art Car boasts powerful
colors and attractive curving expanses, which he applied
generously to the
wings, hood and roof. Calder saw his art in
action when he attended the Le Mans
24-hour race as a guest to
witness his work's premiere.
Calder, who was born in Philadelphia in 1898, journeyed to Paris
where he
discovered the avant-garde scene. Drawn to both art and
technology, he
developed an entirely individual style to
sculpture. His often huge pieces have
a buoyant, hovering effect
and are painted in daring, primary colors. His most
famous works
of abstract art entitled "Mobiles" were viewed as the most
innovative sculptures of the 20th century.
The youngest Art Car is the BMW V 12 Le Mans roadster, which Jenny
Holzer
designed in 1999 with pen strokes and six short texts
from her Truisms and
Survival series. Holzer, an American artist
who prefers words over pictures,
clothed her Art Car with her
most famous statement, "PROTECT ME FROM WHAT I
WANT"
in chrome and phosphorescent paint. The Holzer Art Car concept is
based
on traditional markings, colors and graphics of racing car design.
Born in Ohio in 1950, Holzer has attained worldwide recognition with
her
provocative images. Her constructions and highly
technological presentations,
shining from walls and chiseled
into stone, have gained a special standing in
contemporary art.
BMW Art Car Miniatures are available in a scale of 1:18, boasting a
wealth of
details and a level of manufacturing precision that
matches the originals.
Every artistic aspect of the originals
has been captured in order to create
perfect pieces of art in miniature.
Initially, only 3,000 copies will be made with a suggested retail
price of $125
each, although this number will not be limited. By
2005, miniature versions of
all 15 original BMW Art Cars will be
available from BMW dealers and selected
museum shops worldwide,
as well as 1-888-269-6654 (1-888-BMW-Online) or
www.bmw-online.com. To locate a BMW dealership, log on to www.bmwusa.com.
BMW Group In America
BMW of North America has been present
in the United States since 1975. Since
then, the BMW Group in
the United States has grown to include marketing, sales
and
financial service organizations for the BMW and MINI brands and
Rolls-Royce
Motor Cars; DesignworksUSA, an industrial design
firm in California; a
technology office in Silicon Valley and
various other operations throughout the
country. BMW
Manufacturing Corp. in South Carolina is part of BMW Group's
global manufacturing network and is the exclusive manufacturing
plant for all
Z4 roadster and X5 Sports Activity Vehicles. The
BMW Group sales organization
is represented in the U.S. through
networks of 340 BMW car, 327 BMW Sports
Activity Vehicle, 148
BMW Motorcycle retailers, and 70 MINI dealers. BMW (US)
Holding
Corp., the BMW Group's sales headquarters for North, Central and South
America, is located in Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey.
Information about BMW Group products is available to consumers via
the Internet
at http://www.bmwusa.com
http://www.bmwmotorcycles.com and
http://www.miniusa.com
# # #
Journalist note: Information about the BMW Group and its products is
available
to journalists on-line at the BMW Group PressClub at
the following address -
www.press.bmwgroup.com.
# # #
