Rob’s Car is for Sale, 2016

Greensboro Project Space (GPS), Greensboro, NC

Rob's Car is for Sale, 2016

In the summer of 2015, I embarked on an unconventional artistic endeavor that blurred the lines between everyday life and creative expression. This project, titled "Rob's Car is for Sale," transformed a gallery space into a unique used car dealership showcasing a single vehicle.

At the heart of this project was a mission to assist Rob, a local community member, in selling his 1993 Nissan Sentra SE-R. Drawing inspiration from the ubiquitous world of online car reviews, I produced a professional-quality video showcasing Rob's vehicle. This approach echoed the rise of YouTube car review channels, where enthusiasts share detailed assessments of the latest automotive offerings.

The project's irony lay in its juxtaposition of high-production values with the modest subject matter - an aging, barely functional car. This contrast harked back to the spirit of early 20th-century Dadaists, who challenged conventional notions of art by elevating everyday objects to artistic status.

My earnest yet admittedly amateur evaluation of the car's features and performance created a humorous parallel to the polished, authoritative tone often adopted by professional car reviewers.By bringing a commercial transaction into an art space, "Rob's Car is for Sale" also engaged with ongoing discussions about the relationship between art and commerce. It challenged viewers to reconsider the boundaries between artistic practice and everyday economic activities, much like the Fluxus movement of the 1960s sought to merge art with daily life.

The project's format playfully subverted the familiar trope of the used car salesman, a figure often portrayed in popular media as pushy and untrustworthy. Instead, my approach emphasized honesty and community service, aligning more closely with the principles of relational aesthetics, which prioritize human interactions and social context in art.

Interestingly, this artistic intervention into the world of car sales occurred against the backdrop of a long history of automotive advertising. Car commercials have been a staple of television since its early days, shaping consumer perceptions and cultural attitudes towards automobiles.

The success of "Rob's Car is for Sale" - resulting in the actual sale of the vehicle within two weeks - demonstrated the potential for art to have tangible, real-world impacts. This outcome resonates with the goals of social practice art, which seeks to create change through collaborative, community-based projects.

Note: This post was written in collaboration with Perplexity, an AI-powered search assistant. Perplexity combines advanced language models with real-time web search capabilities to provide accurate, up-to-date information and assist with various tasks, including content creation. To learn more about Perplexity and explore its capabilities, visit https://www.perplexity.ai.