Art Car

In 1989, Ken Done was commissioned to paint a BMW Art Car. As a creator of one of these unique pieces, he joined an elite group of 8 artists, which included Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, Frank Stella and Robert Rauschenberg. Since that time the Art Car collection has grown to 17, and now includes David Hockney, Jeff Koons and Jenny Holzer.

The Art Car concept began in 1976, when Alexander Calder was commissioned to embellish the BMW of his friend, french racing driver Herve Poulain. It has been developed by BMW into an exhibition that continues to tour the worlds’ premier art galleries and museums. 

"Ken Done has made his racing car as optimistic and colourful as his pictures. The style he has chosen is intended on the one hand to express the fascinating appeal of the M3 as a fast and dynamic automobile, while on the other hand it is to be typically Australian. This is why Done intentionally chose an abstract rendition of parrots and parrot fish: ‘Both are beautiful and move at fantastic speed. I wanted my Art Car to convey the same impression."

- BMW Art Car Collection, Press Release, Germany, 1993