I started collecting pieces of vintage cars headed for the crusher, thanks to an hoarding neighbor who has amassed over 500 on his property. I see them as cultural artifacts, and I’m continually captivated by the curves and ingenious design details. First I used them as inspiration in my ceramic and glass sculptures, and now I’ve started incorporating them in all their rusty glory.
The basis for these sculptures was a 1959 Jaguar. It’s motor and many other items had been stripped, and the remaining shell had been rotting out in the elements for years.
This “car cabinet” was made from the roof of the car, using the massive door hinges of the car to create functional doors with kiln-formed glass windows. Glass also bubbles up out of the former rear window.
Inside are two shag fur columns, lit from within to feature a pair of glass replicas of later model Jaguars, as though they are prized ancient idols. These historic artifacts are actually Avon perfume bottles, circa 1970. I imagined this cabinet in a dystopian future, with the bottles holding some of the last remaining gas fuel, long after internal combustion engines have been obliterated.