I came across this second generation Dodge Caravan parked in downtown Sterling, Illinois one morning.
It’s really unfortunate that I didn’t get a chance to meet the owner, because I would love to discuss the iconography behind this art.
Signed over the driver’s side headlight by “tater”, this is much better work than your run-of-the-mill ”Hey, let’s get out some damn brushes and paint the damn minivan!” minivan.
The whole thing has sort of a Peter Max/Yellow Submarine 1960s vibe to it, yet I didn’t see a single peace sign. And there are some edgier elements, like the rats and the voracious-looking shark and T-Rex comparing maws across the rear hatch. Then there’s the boxing condiments. (How do you even tell when a ketchup bottle is bleeding?)
The flying eyeball prominent on the hood has been symbolizing the all-seeing eye of various gods going back millennia, and has a prominent place in “Kar Kulture” due to its frequent use by the legendary pinstripe designer known as Von Dutch.
There’s a Native American “dream catcher” and a Christmas tree perilously close to an old-school Spy-vs.-Spy bomb (fuse lit!)
I welcome your interpretations of any of these elements, I’m sure they’re as good as mine. But I’d love to talk to you, tater. If you see this, drop me a line, man.
All content copyright Jeffery Blackwell 2010
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Thanks for commenting! Double clutch!!