Cartist: A Confluence Of Modern Art and Automobiles

A closer look at 'Cartist', an event that merges Indian modern art with the Automobile and creates masterpieces that every automotive enthusiast in the world would love to own!

By Cyrus Dhabhar

1 mins read

Published on April 19, 2017

Highlights

Automotive themed art with an Indian twist
Cartist offers art students a chance to create masterpieces
Sculptures, canvas art sand auto themed installations adorn Cartist

From the likes of the Mona Lisa at the Louvre to the roof of the Sistine Chapel to the Ellora Caves in Maharashtra or even the architectural form of the Taj Mahal, art can be a variety of things to a variety of people. Art experts usually hold the view that cars (or transportation in general) can never be art, but of course, anyone who has ever seen a Jaguar E-Type or a Ferrari 250 GT Short Wheel Base up close can contradict that statement. But what about using cars as a base for art. What about taking a car and making it into a blank canvas to make art on. A small group in Jaipur called Cartist is doing exactly that, and much more! Tata Nanos painted by Cartist Cartist is an exhibition of art in the pink city – Jaipur that evolves continuously through the weekend. And as the name suggests, the theme is pretty obvious – the automobile. And it isn’t the who’s who of the art world that congregate at the event to make art, it is actually mostly art students. There are even experts who provide them with a direction in terms of what to do, how to do it and of course, what not to do when creating these masterpieces. And yes, they are masterpieces. In fact, there are a few canvas paintings that we saw at the event that made our jaws drop with the kind of sheer detail they carried and the kind of subject matter that a confluence of modern Indian art and automobiles could portray. A Jaguar MK-2 re-imagined in a masterpiece Its not just canvas art though. Cartist also has a blend of stone sculptures, installation art (that has been made out of a collection of old and rather worthless Bajaj scooters) and even wire frame art. In fact, the wire frame art pieces, probably the finest we have ever seen in India bring alive a Type 1 Jaguar E-Type Coupe and a AC Cobra. Having driven a Type 1 Jaguar E-Type Coupe and been lucky enough to spend a considerable time around one, the attention to detail is truly staggering! From the power bulges on the hood to the louvers that flank it, to the fuel filler opening and the tail gate that opens sideways, every single detail has been caught with surprising levels of detail. Jaguar E-Type Wire Frame Sculpture Himanshu Jangid, the founder of Cartist has gone above and beyond to promote car art but donating three of his classic cars for the cause converting them into giant canvases that artists can come and draw on. One of these cars, a very very original Mercedes-Benz S-Class Fintail from the 1960s is usually the kind of car that no one would dream to paint and draw on by hand, but with students flocking towards it to give it their own touch, we are sure that it will turn out to be one of the coolest and most unique classic cars in the country. Mercedes-Benz S-Class Fintail canvas Cartist has also in the past painted a whole bunch of Tata Nanos, some of which were on display in their bright and rather captivating paintwork. Being its third year, I personally think Cartist has the potential of becoming a premier event in the art world in India. There are absolutely stunning pieces of art that have been created that could be the pride of every car enthusiast or art enthusiast’s wall. Personally though, I am absolutely and completely smitten by that phenomenal Jaguar E-Type!