Museums

Explore ‘the art of the automotive landscape' at a new Petersen exhibit

"Eyes on the Road" celebrates the world adjacent to autos; Ed Ruscha, Andy Warhol, and other lauded artists are part of the vibrant show.

Petersen Automotive Museum

What to Know

  • "Eyes on the Road" at the Petersen Automotive Museum
  • Opens March 30; creative concept cars, paintings honoring roadside icons, highways as artistic inspiration, and other subjects will be in the spotlight
  • Included with general admission; $21 adult (other ticketing tiers are available)

Any driver knows to keep their "Eyes on the Road," but sometimes, when we pull off to the side for a fast fill-up, a hasty bite, or a brief bathroom break, the realm of the road reveals some remarkable sights.

These sights might include quirky concept cars, the sort of vehicles that feel as if they were driven out of some dream some will have a hundred years in the future. We might admire the elegantly utilitarian architecture of a roadside stop, the type of building we patronize for a quick minute.

And the complex majesty of a multi-level highway cloverleaf, a marvel of the midcentury, dazzles many an automobile maven.

"Eyes on the Road: Art of the Automotive Landscape" will pay imaginative homage to those works that have gone whimsically beyond simply getting from Point A to Point B.

Pieces by legends like Ed Ruscha and Andy Warhol will be featured in the new Petersen Automotive Museum exhibit, which opens on March 30. David Hockney's "Mulholland Drive" will be on view and Steve O'Loughlin's "Freeway Box."

A few eye-popping, straight-from-science-fiction dream machines will also be on view, including a 1956 American Motors Astra-Gnome.

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Divided into five sections — highways, at the pump, street art, sign language, and vehicle concepts — "Eyes on the Road" will prompt visitors to consider the wonders of the world just beyond our windshields.

"This exhibit represents the fusion of artistic expression, automotive ingenuity, and observation of the motoring environment," said Petersen Automotive Museum Executive Director Terry L. Karges.

"It also perfectly illustrates how artists can reveal the beauty hidden in plain sight throughout the world in which we drive."

Your admission to the Petersen Automotive Museum, located in the mid-city on the Miracle Mile, is all you need to enjoy the exhibit, which will be located on the first floor.

The new exhibit will spotlight a 1956 American Motors Astra-Gnome. (photo: Petersen Automotive Museum)
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