Traveling Exhibition Muckenthaler Show Celebrates American Car Culture

The sleek red ones mean speed. The big ones are all about power. At 8 years old, Justin Lu already knows the basics of car symbolism.

“This is so fast, like an arrow,” the Brea boy said excitedly while strolling with his father, Mark, through the “The Art of the Automobile--California Exhibition” at the Muckenthaler Cultural Center. He was pointing to Wu Hang Chin’s ink-and-watercolor drawing of a flashy red Maserati.

“Those,” Justin added, turning to Ken Eberts’ nearby watercolor of a pair of beefy street roadsters, “are like my dad’s. They’re real strong.”

Mark Lu appreciated his son’s appreciation. “I’m a car junkie [and he’s] becoming one, too. We love this stuff.”

Father and son agreed that there was plenty to love at the center. The show, which continues through May 19, includes more than 60 paintings, drawing and sculptures, all by California artists and all idolizing that very American of fancies, the car.

No Yugos on display, though. More like hot rods, roadsters and racing machines, most depicted in loving detail, others somewhat more abstractly rendered. While many of the artists also work with other subjects, they all share the muse of the auto.

Exhibit curator Margit Motta said variety and artistic quality determined whether or not a piece was chosen. With that in mind, she believes not only car enthusiasts will enjoy the show.

“There’s no doubt that car-lovers will make up much of our audience, I mean [they’re] a dedicated group,” Motta said. “But [the art] can be viewed on its own . . . some people will just look at the pretty cars, while others will look at the art and know how good it is.”

Linda Chambers, 33, of Fullerton, said her husband, Larry, 38, is a car nut and asked her to tag along. Although she has no special interest in automobiles (“I don’t think much about them until they break down”), Chambers said she likes representational art and was pleased with the exhibit for that reason.

“A lot of these [artists] have great technique,” she said. “Their use of color and line is very good [and] I like the look of some of the sculptures, too.”

In particular, Chambers was impressed with Richard Pietruska’s carved and molded sculptures, some in wood and some in plastic. The smallish pieces have an Art Deco flavor, with flowing Batmobile-like contours. She also singled out his “Flights of Fancy,” a reddish wood carving featuring three cars reaching up and intertwining like snakes from the head of Medusa.

Another artist, Nicola Wood, also toys with the car form. Her large oil painting, “Trashy Lingerie,” offers a peculiar scene of a man sitting in a long, shark-finned white Cadillac on a darkened street. He’s watched by a gang of mannequins done up in lingerie behind a shop window.

Yet another take was William A. Motta’s acrylic painting, “Bubbles.” The artist, who also is art director for Road & Track magazine, depicted, in close-up, the front of a car being washed, glistening under a layer of soap, sun and water.

“It looks so rich; it’s eye candy,” Chambers said.

In conjunction with the exhibition, the center will host the 1996 Muckenthaler Motor Car Show on May 19. The event, held on the center’s nearby grounds, will feature dozens of vintage and specialty autos, said coordinator Jane Parker.

“We have quite a turnout, quite a few exceptional cars,” said Parker, noting that Orange County is a great place to find valuable machines. “Yes, we have many [old and expensive Mercedes] Benzes. . . . We just get the beach crowd” to bring them over.

* What: “The Art of the Automobile--California Exhibition.”

* When: Tuesdays through Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Sundays, noon to 5 p.m. Through May 19.

* Where: The Muckenthaler Cultural Center, 1201 W. Malvern Ave., Fullerton.

* Whereabouts: Take the Riverside (91) Freeway to Euclid Street and head north to Malvern Avenue, then turn left.

* Wherewithal: $2 for adults, $1 for students, seniors and children under 13.

* Where to call: (714) 738-6595.