BMW Z4 Coupe inspires radical artist
And now for something completely different. BMW has a tradition of bringing artists together with its cars, notably in its series of "Art Cars," but this project is definitely... well, out there. Before BMW debuted the Z4 Coupe, it commissioned New York-based designer Joshua Davis to capture the essence of the car in his unique, computer-generated prints. The results of the "Z4 by Joshua Davis" project are now on display at www.z4byjd.com, along with a "making of" video about the project.
You'll have to decide for yourself if Davis succeeded in evoking the design of the car in his artwork, but the process is certainly fascinating. Davis is a pioneer of "algorithmic graphic design" - a process in which the design of the Z4, inspired the development of mathematical algorithms and a computer program that uses said algorithm to reconstruct an image at random. Computer graphics geeks will appreciate that his images, with up to 120,000 layers and 50,000 vectors, are a challenge to turn into something you can hang on the wall.
[Source: BMW, Z4byJD.com]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Fazzster 2:07PM (2/24/2006)
How about designs inspired by Danish Cartoonists?
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Micah 2:11PM (2/24/2006)
Yeah, I looked at this sight the other day. I don't see it. :-/
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K 2:19PM (2/24/2006)
absolutely retarded
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RossL 2:25PM (2/24/2006)
I don't know much about art, but I recognize marketing when I see it.
This way, when you plunk down the big bucks for a Z4, you have the assurance of knowing that you're not just a rich snot - you're actually a clever, thoughtful sophisticate!
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Rob Faltinson 3:40PM (2/24/2006)
At least these designs are less busy and have more coherent lines.
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icerabbit 3:52PM (2/24/2006)
"algorithmic graphic design" - a process in which the design of the Z4, inspired the development of mathematical algorithms and a computer program that uses said algorithm to reconstruct an image at random.
So, actually he didn't design anything. I do not see any relation to a Z4, a BMW or a car. So my take is that is that it is a random visualizer tout court. And a pretty bad one.
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Jabbar 4:16PM (2/24/2006)
garbage
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josh davis 10:33PM (2/24/2006)
thanks for the feedback - you'd have to see the prints at higher res to see that the whole print is actually the Z4 duplicated several times.
here are some larger shots :
http://www.joshuadavis.com/bmw/green.jpg
http://www.joshuadavis.com/bmw/blue.jpg
http://www.joshuadavis.com/bmw/orange.jpg
but again it was an art project and I don't expect everyone to like my style of work - but thank you for letting me respond here on this forum.
// joshua davis
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Mike Browne 11:08AM (2/25/2006)
I am a professional cartoonist/animator as well as a mini car enthusiast. Looking at the art I don't see the relevence to the vehicle. At all. It has no human element it appears computer generated with no soul. I would welcome an art session with other artists creating a life size Z4 with some heat involved. Sorry, all the mathematical algorithms spit out boring art. It's not the computer's fault. Like they say, "it's not the arrow. it's the Indian.
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Justin Bell 4:32PM (2/25/2006)
I guess some people just don't appreciate graphic art, Josh ;) Although, I have to say that I can't see any immediate infuence from the Z4.
And to all the Bangle haters out there: The new Z4 is far better than any of the old BMW roadsters. Why? Because roadsters are not supposed to be conservative in design! I don't like any of his sedan designs. But the Z4 is excellent.
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Juan 12:19AM (2/26/2006)
Well I like it. I certainly don't think it's fair to call something bad art, art by its nature is subjective.
Without having any attachment to the Z4 or BMW as a brand, I probably wouldn't buy it and hang it on my wall, but if I saw something in a similar style that featured a car that I did have, then I probably would.
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Grant Guthrie 4:27PM (3/03/2006)
Not that I'd expect Joshua to still be reading this thread, but here it goes: The thing I find most appealing about the coupe is the roofline of the car, which is mostly covered up in your artwork, which is what I think is preventing me from really appreciating this more - lots of grey wheels aren't that interesting.
However I appreciate what you're trying to do with your work, and I'm looking forward to what you come up with next.
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jennifer 8:31PM (5/14/2008)
I think its pretty cool. I guess it just depends on what kind of art you are into
Artsz
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