Life-Sized Car Sculptures, Made With Minerals and Ash, Go on View at the Petersen

There are automobiles that are works of art, it's true, but there are also autos that are depicted in art.

We're talking about those dream machines that inspire artists to pick up paintbrushes, or lumps of clay, or cameras, with the ultimate aim of capturing the spirit of the car in a creative way.

You may have a favorite watercolor depicting a roadster or a stunning photograph you love, one that shows a gleaming line-up of vintage vehicles.

But finding a sizable sculpture of a car that possesses the considerable heft of a car doesn't happen every day, and if the artwork has an ethereal "eroded" quality to its appearance? Then you just might be encountering the otherworldly oeuvre of Daniel Arsham.

Now several of the contemporary artist's large-scale vehicles are on view at the Petersen Automotive Museum, giving car lovers, mavens of modern expression, and anyone who enjoys a different and thought-provoking spin on a sight we encounter daily — that would be cars, of course — plenty to consider.

The vehicles of the "Arsham Auto Motive" exhibit are in no way driveable, but they do drive the imagination. Volcanic ash, pyrite, quartz, and other surprising natural material appear in the offbeat autos, adding to their ethereal appearances.

These autos do look as if they've been buried in the earth for eons, thanks to the presence of shiny minerals poking out of their door frames and hoods. There's a tantalizing tale there, and distinctive dramatic undertones, too, and a viewer can sense that the artist's background in theater and storytelling are active elements in each artwork.

Take a brief drive by some of the sculptures now by scrolling below. "Arsham Auto Motive" is on view at the Miracle Mile museum through Nov. 26, 2023.