stewartbremner's photostream  

10 _MG_1261

Before exiting bed late this morning, a plan was hatched to get down to the Underground and sort out my borrowed studio, so that it was ready for first thursday and would thereby giving us several days to get away. So after eating a hurried, er-hm, lunch, we headed downtown.

In the early afternoon we were in the Underground. A plan had been hatched earlier to sort out my borrowed studio. Getting it ready for First Thursday this early in the week would give us several days off, to get away and unwind some. In the studio, we found that we were short of a few supplies and tools and so we took a trip to a very large store.

Yesterday, I thought I was done with taking photos of cars. I shot three cars, one of which seemed to provide a good bookend to my car series. I breathed a sad sigh of relief and told myself I was done and that was that.

And then yesterday, on the way to a very large store to pick up some studio supplies, I saw a sparkle of chrome and a two-tone paint job pull across the highway into a burger joint half a mile away. I could not help but remark on it. Megan suggested that we should have a little look at it and drove us into the car park after it.

We drove past the two-tone boat and stopped for a moment in the car. I was unsure about shooting another car, not really wanting to give in to the addiction again. I might not be able to quit again and it was getting to be an encumbrance, yet the car was undeniably stunning.

Megan parked the car and I sat, debating what to do. The owners of the car clearly were having some troubles, as both the bonnet and boot were open (or hood and trunk if you prefer). I could tell the car was built on the same General Motors A-body platform* as the 1955-57 Chevys that I love, although I did not recognise it. I was very intrigued, yet unsure I had the nerve to walk across the car park to bother the owners as they carried out repairs. Megan, however, is very good at encouraging me and so donning my hat and dropping my shades, I walked over that hot concrete expanse to the car.

Up close, it sparked beautifully in the strong sunshine. The maroon and white trim was understated and very neat, accented with acres of gorgeous art deco chrome trim, that on close inspection had the tiniest patina of age. The owners, a friendly retired couple, told me that it was a 1955 Pontiac Star Chief convertible, that they had owned for twenty-eight years. They had restored it themselves, using only original parts and they were more than happy to let me take as many photos of it as I liked, as soon as they had fixed the pump**.

When I told them that there were no cars like this back home, they were surprised and offered to let me sit in it and get my photo taken. I politely declined, although I'm really not sure why. The owners then made sure to point out the Indian Chief hood ornament, that lights up at night. On close inspection, I was shown how it was a mesh of crackles, which I was assured was how all of these pieces are now.

Even though the two of them are quite used to the attention their car brings to them during the months it gets out of their garage, I think they were quite pleased to receive it in such an exotic accent. As they walked away from their car to get some burgers, I heard them telling a friend where I was from and that they did not have old cars there. I got on with taking photos under the hot sun, with a smile on my face.

After the unexpected excursion, we made haste to the vast store of idiocy for our delayed studio supplies and then flew back to the Underground. Over the course of the following six hours, I got the studio looking really good. In fact, the studio looks so good that we've decided to call it a gallery for a few days. Which means, with much excitement, that I can reveal I am going to be having a solo show at the Underground in October!

*Megan keeps reminding me to call this a series, not an obsession but we all know the truth. You don't need to know how much research*** I've been doing during this series.
**possibly. It was one of the tedious inside parts that lacks both paint and chrome.
***reading about cars on wikipedia and then finding photos of them on google

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10 _MG_1249

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