Home » Car Hoods Can Be Art But What Hood Is It?: Cold Start

Car Hoods Can Be Art But What Hood Is It?: Cold Start

Cs Chicagohood
ADVERTISEMENT

I’m still here in Stockholm, at this moment at the venue where the Volvo EX90 reveal canine-and-equine show is to happen, but I had a few dead hours this morning and so I decided to sneak over to the Moderna Museet, Stockholm’s contemporary art museum. Among the exhibits (it’s a good collection! There’s that Rauschemberg piece with the goat jammed through the tire, for example) was this one from Judy Chicago, best known for The Dinner Party, which was a painted car hood.

The museum describes this particular painted car hood like this:

Vidframe Min Top
Vidframe Min Bottom

Car Hood plays on the male-dominated surfer culture in 1960s Los Angeles. Judy Chicago was one of few women on the established LA art scene. The paintwork features symmetrical patterns that were typical of the time. It also includes enigmatic symbols, such as the Celtic cross. Chicago describes the motif as a vaginal shape impaled by a phallic arrow on a masculine car hood: “A clear symbol of my state of mind at the time.” 

It’s also worth noting that to paint this, Chicago actually studied car painting techniques at an auto body school in LA, which was a pretty male-dominated environment, giving some context to what she said about the work. And, you know, she learned how to really paint cars, like that other famous American painter, Earl Sheib.

Chicago did a few of these painted car hoods, but this one in Stockholm is an interesting one to try to guess because it’s one of those hoods that’s harder to place out of context. Think you know what it is? Take a guess!

The answer is here. Now you’ve had some culture, first thing in the morning! How’s that feel? Good, right? You’re welcome.

ADVERTISEMENT

 

 

 

Share on facebook
Facebook
Share on whatsapp
WhatsApp
Share on twitter
Twitter
Share on linkedin
LinkedIn
Share on reddit
Reddit
Subscribe
Notify of
10 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Mexace
Mexace
1 year ago

No pain no gain

Paul Brogger
Paul Brogger
1 year ago

No, that’s not it at all!

Dodsworth
Dodsworth
1 year ago

I couldn’t have been more wrong. I guessed ’65 Pontiac LeMans. At least I was in the family.

Hotdoughnutsnow
Hotdoughnutsnow
1 year ago

Designed by Judy Chicago
Car Hood, 1964
Sprayed acrylic on Corvair car hood; sold with custom display box

https://www.mutualart.com/Artwork/Car-Hood/97E353A01D453DB1

MATTinMKE
MATTinMKE
1 year ago

Hard to tell with it on a wall, not usually how we look at hoods. Imma guess 65ish Chevy.

Flyingstitch
Flyingstitch
1 year ago

I hope the poor thing that was sacrificed for this didn’t suffer.

Mike Smith
Mike Smith
1 year ago

I thought it was a Buick hood. Ahh well, I’ll blame it on being behind on my coffee intake this morning.
Also, why is it always genitals with the artsy crowd, anyway?

Data
Data
1 year ago

For some reason this made me think of The Greatest American Hero emblem.
Believe it or not I’m walking on air…

ExAutoJourno
ExAutoJourno
1 year ago

I’d trade that hood for a good fender bearing a Von Dutch eyeball….

Old Busted Hotness
Old Busted Hotness
1 year ago

I was gonna say Chevy II, but the right answer works, too.

10
0
Would love your thoughts, please comment.x
()
x