Ma Voiture Enamel & Sequins on 85 Dodge1998-2001

For 3 months in the late 1990s, I travelled throughout India, Sri Lanka, and Nepal. I was fortunate enough to spend several dizzying afternoons in the desert heat of remote tribal villages in Kutch. When our crampy bus rattled to a dusty stop in each new village, we were shuffled inside small, beautiful one-roomed houses made of mud or dung, with walls and ceilings decorated with intricate designs using paint and tiny mirrors. Swarming around us were gypsies - men, women, and children clad head-to-toe in their astoundingly colorful tribal gear - bright, vivid colors and patterns, large heavy metal necklaces, huge thick bracelets, heavy earrings that caused many an ear to droop, arm and neck bands of tight ivory, shirts made of stunningly detailed embroidery and many, many mirrors. The sat us down and proudly hurled before us amazing handmade mirrorwork textiles: endless tapestries, blankets, and clothes of beautiful colors that mesmerized the eye. Soon we were swimming in a kaleidoscope of color. Some pieces took up to a year to painstakingly make, completely hand-stitched. My Dodge has in a way become a tribute to those diligent desert people. I painted it in authentic tribal designs, right down to the shiny mirrors (I had to substitute sequins and rhinestones). One thing that struck me about India was the unabashedly free-spirited use of decoration and color, in both the big cities and the small villages. Upon my return, America seemed practically dull and subdued in comparison. Painting my car was a way to keep the memory of India alive for me on a daily basis.

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