Totemobile: An Amazing Automobile Transfiguration
My friend Geo worked on this amazing expanding automobile robot thing. Here’s where you can find it. It’s called Totemobile
From the site:
The Totemobile is cubism in action. The iconic object is radically fragmented as it grows upwards. Its several sides are seen simultaneously from all sides.
A Citroën DS transforms through three stages of abstraction. First the structure separates into its geometric parts. These parts become organic forms, and by the time the sculpture reaches its 20 meter “totem” stage, the organic forms bloom with pure light.
MacMurtrie says: “The totem is a frequent reference in my work. I have created many totems as sculptures; as they grow upward, images and narratives are exposed.
“During my first visit to Citroën’s Champs-Elysees showroom, I was very excited about the possibilities offered by the height and windows in the architecture. I clearly saw an image of a totem growing from a car to great heights.
“I chose the Citroën DS, not because of Citroën’s sponsorship, but because it is an icon for European cars, and I felt that the live qualities it represented (hydraulic suspensions, organic curvature, and mechanical ingenuity) were emblematic of the time. I also chose the DS because it influenced my Mexican-American low-rider car culture. A low-rider was used by the Latin culture as a medium of expression… converting classic cars with hydraulic suspensions, utilizing elaborate paint jobs, became an art form.”