unexpected art - The Lardner Report

Old Cars — Stunning Scars

September 30, 2023 by Lonnie Lardner

(Pic #1) Inspiring color palette found on the side panel of a 1960s station wagon. I spotted this one at the Side Street Café in Newbury Park, Cal.

New life emerges from the weather-beaten shells of American classics.

It’s one of my favorite things: discovering patterns, textures and color shifts on cars and trucks who’ve seen better days. I love what Mother Nature has predetermined for these ever-changing works of art. I find that the more worn and scratched, the more personality they show. Sometimes they even help me conjure up a composition and color scheme for a painting. There’s something so rich and exciting about oxidizing auto paint. (Yes, I’m painfully aware of how seriously pathetic that sounds.) I hope you give these sweet rides a fresh look — and you too can develop a super keen, very satisfying, lust for rust.

(Pic #2) Side panel of a 1954 Chevrolet. Spotted in Los Feliz, Cal. Photo by Josh Kaplan.

(Pic #4) Photo by Josh Kaplan

(Pic #4) Detail, wheel well, 1949 Dodge pickup. Photo by Josh Kaplan

(Pic #5) Dodge 1949 pickup, Ojai, Cal.

Just Take A Spin — Find Unexpected Art

November 30, 2021 by Lonnie Lardner

(Pic #1) Facing South, Westlake Village, Cali. (Photo by Josh Kaplan)

(Pic #2) Facing North, Westlake Village, Cali. (Photo by Josh Kaplan)

These two shots were taken from exactly the same spot: in the middle of a field in Westlake Village. Josh stopped to grab the image of the sprawling bougainvillea, and when doing an about face, discovered the wispy tendrils of the dry brush. Kind of a double gift: twice the art — with the effort of one.

So I’m making it a point to take my 180 and find the opposing view. A bonus for staying open to all angles. The life lesson metaphor is not lost on me.

Art In The Alley

January 31, 2020 by Lonnie Lardner

(Pic #1) Unexpected treasure in a valley alley. Discarded wood and laminate.

They are those almost-accidental spaces between buildings — invisibly supporting the rest of the urban landscape. Backstreet alleys. Not quite streets, but still a means of passage. Often hotspots for crime, and more often than not, packed with heaps of trash and debris.

(Pic #2) Am I the only one who stopped to shoot this?

But if you take the time to look, you just might discover backstreets and alleys provide extraordinary opportunities for found art. I stumbled upon the funky warped wooden “sculpture” as I exited the back door of my favorite deli in Woodland Hills. (Pics #1 + #2, above)

I got lost in the backstreets of London, and snapped a quick shot of this garbage can and its discarded adornments. (Pic #3, below)

And my photographer friend Stephanie Sydney nabbed this exquisite image of a store window in a back alley on La Brea in West Hollywood. (Pic #4, below) It’s one of my favorites, and it now hangs in larger-than-life size in the halls of Fortune 500 companies in New York.

It’s always worth stopping for the shot.