DUBAI // Artwork made from toy cars and tyres is a star attraction at the Dubai International Motor Show.
British artist Ian Cook has been creating pieces since the show opened on Tuesday.
He was there again on Friday, paint splattered all over his overalls, as he worked on his masterpiece – a Formula One-inspired car – for the biennial show.
“It is not a massively complicated image,” said Cook, 30.
The artist has invited visitors to contribute to his work using his unique “pop-bang” technique, which includes covering tyres in paint and running them over the canvas.
“I thought kids can have a go at the painting. It is for the city so many people are involved in it,” he said.
The piece, which contains a blue and purple car and will also have a UAE flag, will be auctioned with the proceeds going to Dubai Cares, a charity that helps to improve children’s access to primary education in developing countries.
Cook, a car enthusiast from Birmingham, England, hoped his final piece at the motor show would fetch at least US$12,000 (Dh44,073).
“I hope to raise as much as possible,” he said. “It is an original artwork. I am not going to do this again.”
Using about 60 toy cars and 100 different colours, Cook coated the car wheels in water-based acrylics and ran them over his canvas to recreate an F1-like racer and give it the impression of motion.
The British artist ran out of paint twice by noon on Friday, and spent nearly Dh10,000 on the work.
Cook has already conjured up a white Ford Mustang, which was displayed at the Ford pavilion, followed by a Red Ford Raptor and a Silver Focus ST.
“I am a big car enthusiast, I am trained as an artist, and thirdly, I was bought a radio-controlled car as a Christmas present and was told not to take it down my studio and not to get paint on it.”
He describes this, on his website, as his “light bulb moment”.
Cook said he raised eyebrows at airports every time he travelled.
“I have a luggage of cars and the customs guys always look at me. Each car is like a paint to me,” he said.
This is the 12th edition of the motor show, which is being held at the Dubai World Trade Centre.
The event has 17 global launches, 76 regional launches and 15 concept car unveilings. It ends on Saturday.
pkannan@thenational.ae
