BMW Art Cars

Press Release

ART PIONEERS ALEXANDER CALDER AND FRANK STELLA'S BMW "ART CARS" TO MAKE RARE APPEARANCE AT LIME ROCK VINTAGE CAR FESTIVAL LABOR DAY WEEKEND, 2002 Two of The Greatest Art Works of Our Times To Make First Appearances Outside World-Class Museums NEW YORK, NEW YORK, AUGUST 29, 2002...BMW of North America today announced they will be the presenting sponsor of the 20th Annual Lime Rock Park Vintage Festival, at which two BMW "Art Cars" by American art masters Alexander Calder and Frank Stella will make a rare, once-in-a-lifetime appearance. The cars are usually only exhibited in world-class museums such as the Guggenheim Museum in Manhattan, The Louvre in Paris, and The Bilbao, in Spain. The Festival will take place Labor Day weekend, August 30 through September 2, 2002 in Lime Rock, Connecticut. "We are absolutely thrilled to exhibit these works of art for a rare appearance outside of a fine art environment," said Tom Purves, Chairman and CEO of BMW North America, LLC. "We chose to do so because these invaluable pieces are both vintage racing cars, and we thought it was fitting to have them shown at the Lime Rock Vintage Car Show. Alexander Calder and Frank Stella are two of America's great 20th century artists. Their innovative synthesis of art and automobile represents the pioneering spirit which BMW treasures." The BMW Art Car program was conceived in 1975, the year that French auctioneer and racecar driver Herve Poulain first entered Le Mans. Searching for a link between art and motorcycles, Poulain asked his friend Alexander Calder to commission a rolling canvas on the BMW 3.0 CSL that he would race. In the years that followed, this unique combination of motorsport and BMW design fascinated the famous artists of our time. Since the series' inception in 1975, fifteen memorable racecars have been painted by brilliant art masters such as Andy Warhol, Frank Stella, Roy Lichtenstein, Robert Rauschenberg, Jenny Holzer and David Hockney (all have since been displayed in museums from the Guggenheim in Bilbao to the Louvre in Paris.) Together, the art cars form a mirror of contemporary culture, as exemplary as it is unique. Born in 1898 in Philadelphia, legendary American artist Alexander Calder began his career as an engineer. But art soon won out over engineering (Calder's father and grandfather were both sculptors). At 28, Calder moved to Paris, where he came into contact with the avant-garde scene. Soon, he developed a uniquely individual style of sculpture. His often large-scale pieces have a buoyant, whimsical effect, and are painted in cheery primary colors. Often mobile sculptures, they combine Calder's love of art with his knowledge of engineering. After staging a series of successful exhibitions in Europe and the USA, Calder moved to France in 1956. He died in New York in 1976. Born in 1936 in Malden, Massachusetts, Frank Stella began studying art when he was only 14. After graduating from Princeton, he set up a studio in New York in which he created much of his most acclaimed work - the "Transitional Paintings" and the "Black Paintings." He had his work exhibited at the Museum of Modern Art as early as 1959. During this period, the abstract Expressionists heavily influenced him. The large-scale pop art paintings he produced in the 1960's became a seminal part of American art history. Between 1960 and 1980, Stella exhibited throughout the world, while continuing to work as a teacher. From 1978 to 1980, a traveling exhibition in the U.S. showed a retrospective of his work. This year, the Vintage Festival begins a new era under the direction of Steve Earle, the President of General Racing Ltd. and founder of the world renowned Monterey Historic Automobile Races. Joining Steve in the management team with Skip Barber is Murray Smith, founder of the Rockefeller Center Concours d'Elegance and an important figure in sponsorship development and event promotion. For tickets to the Lime Rock Park Vintage Festival Presented by BMW call 1-800-RACE-LRP or visit www.limerock.com for the location of a Lime Rock ticket outlet near you.