MUSEUMS & GALLERIES
“THE ALLURE OF THE AUTOMOBILE” AT THE HIGH MUSEUM he Allure of the Automobile,” at the High Museum of Art is the first exhibition to correlate Auto design with major design movements such as Art Modern and Postwar Modernity at the time these automobiles were manufactured. The exhibition will present 18 of the world’s rarest and most brilliantly conceived cars ranging from the 1930s to the mid-1960s, including masterpieces by Bugatti, Duesenberg, Jaguar, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche and Ferrari. These cars combine state-of-the-art engineering, meticulous craftsmanship and groundbreaking design to create works of “rolling sculpture.” The idea for the exhibition stemmed from a visit Michael Shapiro, the High’s Nancy and Holcombe T. Green, Jr. Director, had to Paris during the three year exhibition partnership, “Louvre Atlanta” with the Musée du Louvre. When he exited his hotel one day, there were three exquisite American cars from this period on display out front. It made him think about how rarely we think about cars as highly defined and designed objects—especially those of us in cities like Atlanta when we drive hours daily in our cars. As visitors view each section of the exhibition they will trace the evolution of the motorcar, examining the contrasts between European and American design, the influence of decorative arts and design and the significant changes in automotive styling and engineering both before and after World War II. The featured automobiles have also won awards at prestigious world events such as the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, broken records on racetracks and were previously owned by noted car enthusiasts such as Hollywood legends Clark Gable and Steve McQueen. “Until World War I, most cars had been utilitarian objects with one principal goal: transportation,” said Ken Gross, guest curator of the exhibition. “But as tastes and wealth coincided, designers could create and/or customize an automobile’s body, dramatically altering its silhouette and decoration and producing artful, one-of-a-kind objects. Lavish and often beautifully trimmed with aluminum, chrome, inlaid wood and lacquer, the streamlined silhouettes of the finest mid-century cars represent prime examples of Art Moderne design.” After World War II, the industry shifted away from the lavish, expansive cars of the pre-war period toward smaller, more nimble sports cars. In Germany, companies like Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Porsche rose from the ashes of conflict to present brilliantly conceived triumphs of engineering. The 1950s and 1960s saw the rise of fast and luxurious sport cars designed by talented engineers and brilliant coachbuilders, launching an era of Italian supremacy in car design into the second half of the century. “The Allure of the Automobile” will be on view at the High Museum of Art until June 20, 2010. To learn more about this exhibition and the High Museum of Art you can visit www.High.org or call 404-733-HIGH. 10