VEHICULAR by Lodown Magazine

one could argue that personality is everything, especially when it comes to art. Not too long ago, the same thing rang true in terms of picking the right car for yourself. These days though, it’s heated seats that people want the most in an automobile, and statistics claim that the majority of Millenials would rather clean their homes than negotiate with a car dealer.

For a few diehards, owning a luxurious car is still the ultimate symbol of power and wealth. For the majority of us, a car is simply a commodity that you unfortunately still need to own as long as public transportation networks let you down. With VEHICULAR - the same obviously can be said for its five predecessors - we consciously decided not to join ongoing debates but to look at all things motoric strictly from an artistic point of view, regardless of our individual concerns, beliefs, and attitudes. Because in the end, one could argue that personality is everything, especially when it comes to art.

MATHEW ZEFELDT… The digital world is embedded in basically every aspect of our lives to irreversible effect. And American artist Mathew Zefeldt now transfers these spheres to the physical canvas. Heavily influenced by the GTA series, Adobe icons, Hollywood’s SFX factories, and current smartphone displays in equal measure, Zefeldt meticulously brings digital elements and repetitions onto canvas via acrylic techniques.

ARTURO + BAMBOO… When you travel, you are noticeably much more present once your sensory compass gets readjusted. And Dutch artistic duo Arthur Groeneveld and Bamboo van Kampen are masters at capturing these circumstances. Usually at ease with traveling to Mediterranean areas, they explored a very different scenery with their fourth project “Snow“, which basically pays homage to the timeless grandeur of the Alps.

MALCOLM MORLEY… The fundamental aspect, the motor that drove Malcolm Morley‘s (1931 - 2018) passion for painting, was sensation. Sensation being the unmediated bodily response to the outside world through the senses; in this case, the sense of sight. In the end, he lived and painted the seeming paradox of manifesting one’s innocence through a lifetime of experience.

JUSSI PUIKKONEN … In Finland, there is a tradition of gathering in the center of a small town with cars, for socializing. In the Finnish language, there is a word to describe it: “Pilluralli,” directly translated as “pussy rally.” The meaning of the word: driving without destination with an old banger decorated with Wunderbaums and fuzzy dices and having your friends in the backseat sipping alcohol. A fantastic photo documentary by Finnish artist Puikkonen.

- plus more elaborate features and visual awesomeness from the likes of: Motonori Uwasu, Bosozoku, Arnold Odermatt, Pink Flamingo USA, EJ Hill, Oliver Sperl, and many others.