Petersen Automotive Museum

THE ART OF CARS

Hollywood Gallery
March 29-November 2, 2008

A Happy Place
John Lee and Nat McLaughlin
Acrylic
© Disney/Pixar

Route 66 ends this year at Fairfax and Wilshire with the launch of a special exhibition “The Art of Cars,” the first-ever creative collaboration between Pixar Animation Studios and the Petersen Automotive Museum. “The Art of Cars” showcases the artistic process behind the creation of the animated feature film Cars. The exhibit will run from March 29 through November 2, 2008.

Flo Wing Study
Bob Pauley
Marker and pencil
© Disney/Pixar

Inspired by a family trip and his overwhelming love for cars, Director John Lasseter’s enthusiasm seeped into every detail of the movie. Lasseter and his team enlisted some of today’s most famous automotive personalities to give life to the vehicles, including Paul Newman (Doc Hudson) and racing legends Mario Andretti (as himself), Richard Petty (The King), Michael Schumacher (Ferrari), even Darrell Waltrip and Bob Costas (announcers). “The Art of Cars” exhibit guides fans through the process of creating the films’ many characters, personalities, and locations.

“When we started working on Cars, I knew that getting the details right would be essential to the story,” says Lasseter. “The spirit of Route 66 is in every scratch on a fender and every curl of paint on a weathered billboard. Pixar is honored to partner with the Petersen Automotive Museum on the ‘The Art of Cars’ exhibit, so that the public can experience firsthand our passion for the movie through our artists’ eyes.”

Bridge
Bill Cone
Digital print
© Disney/Pixar

“The Art of Cars” exhibit includes more than 60 watercolor and pastel drawings, pencil and marker sketches, and a variety of three-dimensional pieces, including:

Three-dimensional maquettes of Mater, Doc Hudson, Sally, and The King, which were used as reference to guide animators when drawing their characters
Illustrated character studies that illuminate the development of supporting characters Flo and Ramone, Luigi and Guido, Fillmore, Sarge, DJ, and Wingo
Digital, pencil, and marker sketches interpreting the cars’ eyes, gestures, and expressions
Pencil and marker drawings of the fictional Los Angeles Motor Speedway, Sally’s “Cozy Cone” motel, and iconic diners, curio shops, and service stations based on actual locations along “The Mother Road”
Pastels, watercolors, and pencil sketches of such scenic vistas as Ornament Valley, Cadillac Range, and Radiator Cap Butte, based on familiar landmarks as Arizona’s Monument Valley rock formations and the Cadillac Ranch in Amarillo, Texas

“It’s been our pleasure working with John Lasseter and his team to create ‘The Art of Cars’ exhibit” says Dick Messer, Executive Director of the Petersen Automotive Museum. “This movie was very special to me and many other car nuts I know--young and old--because of the way it entertains with real-life references to the racing industry with non-stop action and more than 100 years of automotive history.”

About Pixar Animation Studios:

Pixar Animation Studios, a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company, is an Academy Award®-winning film studio with world-renowned technical, creative and production capabilities in the art of computer animation. Creator of some of the most successful and beloved animated films of all time, including Toy Story, Finding Nemo, The Incredibles, Cars, and most recently, Ratatouille. The Northern California studio has won 20 Academy Awards® and its eight films have grossed more than $4 billion at the worldwide box office to date. The next film release from Disney•Pixar is WALL•E (June 27, 2008).

“This exhibit features artwork only. There are no full scale representations of the characters from the movie in the exhibit.”