Ahead of the times. Sleek, creative and thought-provoking, yet nearly indescribable and impossible to pigeonhole.
That was David Bowie. And that’s also David Bowie … as a car. “A portrait of db” is an interpretation of the late singer with a car as the artistic medium, as imagined by Takumi Yamamoto, an auto designer for PSA Peugeot Citroen and for vehicles within the game Gran Turismo.
Yamamoto’s 3D-printed sculpture took 21 years to complete and was initially was conceived as a Bowie song that would be transformed into an algorithm, which would then create a parametric pattern to design parts of the car. That proved too difficult, so in the end the creators (Yamamoto, industrial designer Cyrille Ancely and CGI artist Alexandre Larnac) used key words from Bowie songs to guide the vehicle’s form, according to Wallpaper.
A full-scale 3D model of the vehicle will debut at the Concept Cars Exhibition in Paris, starting on January 31st.
“This is a portrait of you from a car creator,” writes Yamamoto to Bowie on his website. “It was not just musicians whom you inspired. I would like to dedicate this portrait to you, with my appreciation for being my lifelong inspiration and mentor. Thanks for inspiring me through your music, vision, and FAITH. My life has been far richer because of you. You have been my encouragement in challenging situations. Even while I am worked on this project, it was your voice which encouraged me most.”
Photos: Cyrille Ancely; Takumi Yamamoto
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