A first-generation Ford Mustang, painted white, is the surface of this 2022 private commission for a New York collector's car collection. Vhils selectively stripped the paint and let oxidation draw the imagery: a galloping horse spans the hood, doubling the chrome Mustang emblem on the grille; a large human eye emerges along the doors and rear fender; a band of abstract etched patterning runs across the front valance. No image is applied — corrosion alone defines the portrait and the abstract forms. Vhils treats the Mustang's decades of manufacturing and use as an accumulated skin, extending the principles of Scratching the Surface from buildings to an industrial object.
Year2022MediumSculptures