Cool Hunting

by Tamara Warren

With big, black bold sinuous lines, artist Eric Haze's interpretation of the Lotus Exige seemed to reverberate above the music on the platform where it was unveiled at the Manhattan Classic Car Club last week. The occasion was Jeff Staple's Downshift 08, an event bringing together gaming and cars, but Haze, a fine artist and New York subway art legend, stole the stage. Under the tarp, he revealed a car laden with his signature line work accentuating the body and figure of the sexy sports vehicle.

When the Exige turned up in New York primed for painting, Haze began the arduous, technical process that only a studied automotive detailer could fully appreciate. Car detailing requires knowledge of texture, material and absorption, presenting issues that are more cumbersome than the simple canvas or concrete wall. Haze, who painted a 2004 Scion tC, was able to apply the process necessary in order to complete his vision.

The results were impressive to the naked eye there to take in the car's clean-cut form language that coincides with the design language of the Exige, an aerodynamic ride that reaches 60 mph in 4.1 seconds. The commissioned art car will be auctioned off to benefit Studio in a School, a New York non-profit that pairs professional artists with children.

Image via To Darrin Hudson