New Rust Rapture Abstract Fine Art Photos
New Rust Rapture Abstract Fine Art Photos
I attended this years Lone Star Kustom Car Roundup as I have for the last seven years and was not disappointing with the rat rod turn out. These Rat Rods are the source of my Rust Rapture images. I just submitted a portfolio of my Rust Rapture Collection to Left Bank Art and included an artist statement that I had written years ago that is sort of fun to read. It is included below after these images from my2017 harvest of abstract images.
1960 Chevy El Camino Rust Rapture fine art photography Austin
1960 Chevy El Camino H Rust Rapture fine art photography austin texas
1934 Ford Truck Rust Rapture fine art photography austin texas
1952 Chevy Pickup Truck Rust Rapture fine art photography austin texas
1946 Chevy Pickup Truck Rust Rapture fine art photography austin texas
1946 Chevy Pickup Truck f Rust Rapture fine art photography austin texas
1929 Ford Model A Rust Rapture fine art photography austin texas
1929 Ford Model A Rust Rapture fine art photography austin texas
1959 Chrystler Windsor Rust Rapture fine art photography austin texas
Artist Statement
Johnny Stevens
I was raised in a tiny town in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains. Our house had a white picket fence in the backyard within which 5 of us kids ran naked throughout our childhood; seriously, naked. The boundaries of my soon-to-be border-less and open mind set were clearly being established without my knowledge. Weekly, the DDT fog truck would drive by the house to kill mosquitoes and we would frolic on foot or bike behind it…. unwitting of the disastrous effects of this dangerous chemical. The resulting effects of DDT on my brain synapses are likely one reason today, I am so attracted to the abstract. Salvador Dali has always been one of my favorite artists, and I sometimes wonder if I observe life more like his surreal representations than what other people see, especially through the lens of a camera. Constantly surveying my surroundings, I find myself hunting for a chance to reveal the obscure – to reveal unique perspectives of ordinary images that are normally overlooked.
Despite the white fence upbringing, I have always harbored the rebel spirit, loving to break the rules, like parking where one should not. In abstract art, there is a sense of freedom in breaking the rules, partly because the art itself has done lots of the rule breaking part. One may say that I really have not broken anything, only revealed it.
Having broken lots of rules in prep school, my parents shipped me off to Fleming College in Florence, Italy. There I was encouraged to break away – in spirit, and on the weekends, on foot. This art institute was housed in a glorious 300 year old Tuscan Villa fit for royalty with breathtaking views of the rolling Tuscan vineyards. Most of the art training I had there was in the dungeon of the villa, a perfectly damp and remote place to host a photographic dark room. The ambient red light, the rancid smell of the print developer and stop bath, and the wrinkled skin on my fingers are all much more vivid for me today than the black and white prints I created years ago. In the adjacent chamber, which must have been the disciplinary whipping room at one time – as the sounds of screams could never have penetrated its thick stone walls – was where our charcoal drawing exercises were held. It became clear on the first day of sketching exercises, when a sleek Italian lady entered the room and promptly dropped her robe, that this cold, damp and very quiet room several floors below ground was also probably the safest place to host naked models.
Up on the Mezzanine of the Villa were perched our oil paints, canvas and easels. I had a spectacular view of the pool and the stately pool cabana which had been transformed into the theater and drama department. Abstract painting was my go-to genre, though I toughed out a few landscapes. Though I have always admired Salvador Dali’s surrealistic paintings, my thesis painting was a dead ringer of “clin d’oeil à Picasso” by Bochaton Emmanuelle. Interestingly, today in my abstract photography I still look for patterns that are disrupted, yet try to honor balance in the composition. It is precisely this theme that became an obsession for me when I discovered the inherent beauty of the rhythms, textures and colors right on the chassis of rat rods.
Eight years ago when I first attended the Lone star Rod and Kustom Car Round-up in Austin, I was blown away by the spectacular beauty of the cars’ organic finishes – particularly the “rat rods” – hot rods whose exterior finish have been subjected to harsh elements –rain, sun, heat and occasionally an owner’s belt sander. The blend of old paint and rust creates a stunning patina. Each photo is an energetic amalgamation of textures and colors creating bold movement and intense mystery. These vintage cars span 40 years and range from a 1924 Ford Model T to a 1966 Chevy. Six years in the making, these “Rust Rapture” images are my favorites in my fine art portfolio.
ARTIST BIO
Johnny Stevens is a commercial and fine art photographer in Austin, Texas. His most popular art photography collection is called Rust Rapture. These photographic images have gained international recognition and are currently displayed worldwide in select boardrooms, offices, hotels, and elite residences. The Rust Rapture images capture the very close up sections of the distressed exterior finishes of vintage “hot rod” or “rat rod” cars. Photographed by an Austin photographer, these pieces have a story clients will love to tell.
The collection is inspired by revealing the mystery that is created from the bold mix of textures, colors and movement. The images display a variety of gorgeous colors and are commanding as large canvas prints in a modern or traditional setting.
“Eight years ago when I first attended the Lone star Rod and Kustom Car Round-up in Austin, I was blown away by the spectacular beauty of the cars’ organic finishes – particularly the “rat rods” – hot rods whose exterior finish have been subjected to harsh elements –rain, sun, heat and occasionally an owner’s belt sander. The blend of old paint and rust creates a stunning patina. Each photo is an energetic amalgamation of textures and colors creating bold movement and intense mystery. These vintage cars span 40 years and range from a 1924 Ford Model T to a 1966 Chevy. Six years in the making, these “Rust Rapture” images are my favorites in my fine art portfolio.” – Johnny Stevens
