Elaine L. Jacob Gallery
Opening:
Friday, November 21 from 5 - 8pm
Designing
an Icon: Creativety and the American Automobile
Designing an Icon: Creativity and the American Automobile,
an exhibition organized by the Louisville Visual
Art Association (Kentucky). This industrial design
exhibition features nearly 100 sketches and renderings
generated in the 1960s and 1970s by designers in
the process of creating annual models for the large
American automobile manufacturers of General Motors,
Ford and Chrysler. During this period, the fierce
competition between manufacturers, and even their
own divisions, brought about a frantic pace of design
activity.
Product
secrecy was of the highest priority, and disclosures
or "leaks" of new designs were manifest
disasters. Most of the vast output of design artwork
was stored in company files, once it had served
its usefulness, with strict policies that it must
not leave the premises. However, some designers
were able to maintain some of their work until it
was thoroughly out of date, or perhaps until designers'
retirements, at which time they could take possession
of the work, with company permission. Still, only
a modest amount of such automotive design art exists
today, and this material is the source of Designing
an Icon.
The
exhibition has a special focus on the art of design,
and the creative process particular to the design
of the complex, technological and dynamic automobile.
The drawings illustrate the creative thought and
work process -- from the designers' earliest concept
"doodles" or sketches, to design development
drawings on vellum, and the highly polished engineering
drawings and finished product renderings. The full
size clay model was the final design tool in the
world of all studios at this time, and the exhibition
includes one such model by David McIntosh, formerly
of the design staff of General Motors. Designing
an Icon was curated by Kay Grubola, Artistic Director
of the Louisville Visual Art Association, with important
assistance from legendary General Motors designer
of the 1960s and 70s, and automotive historian,
William Porter.
The
show includes original art created in the highly
secure automotive manufacturers design studios,
never before on view to the public. Done without
the use of computers, and with materials and techniques
such as Prismacolor pencil and pastel on vellum,
chalk on Canson paper, and gouache on Crescent Board,
the works display virtuoso draftsmanship and use
of color. The automotive designers whose works will
be on view, include Wayne Kady, Elia Russinoff,
Roger Hughet, Jerry Brochstein, Tony Balthasar,
Graham Bell, George Camp, Bob Hubbach, Jim Kristich,
Bob Luyckx, Bill Michalak , John Perkins, Fred Pizzurro,
William Porter, Charlie Stewart, Galen Wickersham,
Don Wood, and Dennis Wright. A sequence of drawings
by Dave McIntosh tells the story of a single sports
car concept from the first impulsive sketch on vellum
all the way to the views prepared for presentation
to company executives. William Porter, who was the
designer of distinctive shapes like the 1968 Pontiac
GTO, and went on to head the Pontiac and Buick studios,
discovered the material from which Grubola selected
works for Designing an Icon. In conjunction with
this exhibition, Bill Porter and Kay Grubola will
give gallery talks at the exhibition's opening reception
on Friday, November 21, from 5PM until 8PM which
is free of charge an open to the public The Elaine
L. Jacob Gallery is located at 480 W. Hancock (between
Cass and Second) in Detroit, on the campus of Wayne
State University. For further information, please
contact Lisa Baylis Gonzalez
Thru:
January 16 2009
Hours:
Tuesdays - Thursdays 10AM-6PM and Fridays 10AM-7PM
Contact:
Lisa Baylis Gonzalez or Stephany Sowards at (313)
577-0770
WSU,
480 W. Hancock St. Detroit, 313-993-7813
