We walk by this mural all the time, which keeps changing and getting updated by its artist. I’ve just been waiting for the right car to be in front of it to shoot it, and here it is: an art car in front of the art.
I suppose I should let you see the mural a bit better before we look at the car. As with all our images, click it for full size. Plenty of symbolism, buy I’ve never heard it explained as to the specifics.
I presume the explanation for this curious grafted-on fastback was because of some rear-end damage, but like the mural, I’m not going to try to explain it in detail either.
The mural on the hood doesn’t need much deciphering or explanation. Nor the irony of it being a Toyota.
Death and mysticism on a rainy day instead of another beige Corolla and a drab old building. That’s worth stopping for.
Very creative… I like it!
What a way to ruin a nice Toyota Corolla. Maybe a Prius hatch would look better.
that’s the most boring version of the most boring car in the world. nice not so much
I like both,though shark’s teeth look best on a P40(I built USAF & RAF P40s as a kid with shark’s teeth)
The ’89 Buick Century seems like a better host for the shark nose.
I saw a P-40 model kit in a craft store with Nationalist markings, but made in China! Well, maybe they don’t hold it against the Kuomintang on this point.
The American Volunteer Group got its inspiration from RAF Desert Air Force Tomahawks/Kittyhawks pictured in a news magazine (maybe Life?).
Actually, I like it.
True, the resale value of the Corolla may have taken collateral damage but the artistic execution of the theme is a hit.
Paul is right though. Given the subject and theme of the art, it is ironic that a Toyota was chosen as the canvas. I wonder if it was intentional. In the words of Mr. Spock, “fascinating.”
I like how the mural artist didn’t let a door or electric meters interfere with the artistic expression.
The Corolla owner better watch out that someone doesn’t try to recycle his copper “exhaust pipes”.
This is one of the Art Cars I like .
Some are pretty bad .
-Nate
That is another kind of something else.
No comment
It looks as though the Corolla owner really wanted a Matrix but couldn’t afford one, so this is the best he could do. You wouldn’t lose this in a crowded parking lot.
They Aztek’d the rear end! Why!?
Smart guy for buying a Corolla… stupid for effing it up, like that. At least it’s kinda creative, no losing THAT car in a crowded parking lot. lol
I also DOUBT he was longing for a Matrix… if a Matrix is on your “want-list”, then YOU truly ARE a lame with no passion for cars. Seriously.
WHY, when he could’ve bought a previous generation Corolla wagon… if he really wanted the utility of a 5th door. Also, his grafted on fastback is very useless as an extra cargo entrance… it actually, also made his stock trunk lid unusable.
I think he was trying to imitate, the Army Hummers with the fastback roof, like this one:
A world without art is not worth living in.
Neat car overall, I like the fact they made sure the rear plate is still lit, and I too agree that it would be a disrespectful act to steal the Copper exhaust pipes for scrap. In all honesty they are probably painted PVC pipe.
I bet he subscribes to Guns & ammo.
Mixing fighters and bombers, it seems.
Other thing, it’s an example of what men will do who don’t have girlfriends or any expectations of getting one.
My guess is that Toyota was worn out and had serious accident damage, making it’s resale value pretty much $0. Some kid decided to have a little fun with it before it goes to the crusher. Obviously a WWII military theme, the shark’s teeth and pipes sticking out of the fenders are from a P40, it has an Air Force insignia and various other military nomenclature painted on it. The hood reminds me of the pinup girl nose art on WWII bombers, and also of Slim Pickens from Dr. Strangelove.
I would be upset had this been done to a vintage car, but the Corolla was designed as a disposable car to begin with. I doubt the modifications will make it any less recyclable.
So, music geek that I am, I go off in an entirely different direction, because of the headline:
Tod und Verklärung, Op. 24, Tondichtung für grosses Orchester von Richard Strauss.
(From the title page of the full score. What can I say? Analyzing a whole raft of full scores in graduate-level music theory warped my mind.)
Indeed, life without art would not be worth living. You’re lucky, Paul, to live in a quirky city where these two pieces of art can coexist!
That mural reminded me of this marvellous tailgate art (if attachment works) I spotted on my way to the airport one day.
My grandma drives the same car, of course it looks nothing like that.
Just say no to drugs, folks!
Both the mural and the car seem pretty harmless. The mural could easily be painted over and the car crushed, all in one day. Oh, one thing I did notice about the car, it still has stock wheels, not 24 inchers. The mods done to that car are in better taste than what I have seen done to brand new Cadillac Escalades, at least IMO.
And have you ever lived in a city where almost everything is tan stucco? If I painted something like that on the side of my house, I would receive a citation from the city, giving my 72 hours to get rid of it or be fined on a weekly basis until I did.
Here you cannot even put a for sale sign in your car unless it is moving. Park it and forget to remove the sign, and you risk getting fined.
If you don’t mind my asking, which socialist democratic republic do you live in…??
The socialist republic of Chandler, AZ, USA. Nothing democratic about it. It’s so bad that if one of the cars in my driveway has a flat, I will get a citation for it if I don’t fix it before the city code inspector spots it. This place is so bad that we have “garbage police” They go around early on trash collection day, and if your trash can has the wrong kind of trash in it, they staple a sticker on it, and the truck won’t pick it up. I have to work on my cars inside the garage, and park 2 cars in the driveway behind them, so the inspectors, or someone who might report it to the inspectors can’t see what I’m doing. Fortunately, most of my neighbors are pretty cool, and some of them are also into cars.
That’s insane that one could not work on their own vehicle in their own driveway! If I were you, I’d find likeminded people and vote “socialists” out during next municipal election.
I don’t want to get political here, but you’ve got it backwards. Most communities that have rigid rules like that are typically in politically conservative towns, as I suspect Chandler, AZ is. I doubt there’s many true socialists running that town. 🙂
Here in the Peoples Republic of Eugene, (and many other pinko-socialist towns) folks are generally freer from rules like that. You should see the driveways around here; well, I have shown you many. As well as the junk sitting on the curbs for years on end.
I feel like visiting that place with a ratty old car just to mess with people.
Cool! This reminds me of when I was ten years old back in 1974; “Star Wars,” and CGI were still years in the future, “Star Trek” was just another rerun on Channel 44 and comic books were still comic books and not “graphic novels.” The only outlet for young male nerdiness was World War Two; fortunately, we boys were gifted with the “World at War” documentary series making its American premiere that year. I think every boy at my elementary school waited for Wednesday nights, when a new episode would air. The next day, we would be running around the schoolyard, playing Wehrmacht vs. Red Army or whatever the theme of the previous night’s show was. And this is the kind of car every last one of us wanted to have when we grew up!