Award winning French artist Alan Reullier reinterprets the Midlands’ best loved automotive brands for forthcoming exhibition The Art Of A Second Life at the RBSA Gallery
From Tuesday 25 March, visitors to Birmingham’s Royal Birmingham Society of Artists (RBSA) Gallery will be given the rare chance to see a collection of original engineers’ drawings, featuring some of the West Midlands’ best loved classic motor vehicles, reimagined into contemporary art.
When award winning French artist Alan Reullier, a former French Naval Air Force chief mechanic, was given the opportunity to save countless drawings and blueprints originally gifted to British Motor Heritage (BMH) by The British Motor Museum in Warwick, he jumped at the chance. While the drawings are being scanned to preserve their contents for future classic car enthusiasts, BMH are unable to keep the original papers and so Reullier stepped in to rescue as many drawings as he could.
Originally from Paris, Reullier is known for his sustainable artwork, created from discarded materials, through which he aims to bridge the gap between industry and art. Having salvaged what he could from BMH’s huge storage facilities, Reullier set about breathing new life into the rescued blueprints by sympathetically working around the original designs in his uniquely vibrant style.
“It’s an honour to collaborate with British Motor Heritage and contribute my artistic vision to their historical legacy. I’m inspired by the opportunity to push the boundaries of traditional automative design and create something truly unique that resonates with auto enthusiasts and art aficionados alike.” – Alan Reullier
On display at the RBSA Gallery will be reimagined designs for lost Midlands’ classic models from Rover, Leyland, and Triumph, enduring Birmingham stalwarts Land Rover, as well as vintage Minis and MGs. Not only will The Art Of A Second Life give the drawings just that, a second life, it will also allow classic car enthusiasts the chance to own unique pieces of British motor history.
The exhibition runs from Tuesday 25 March to Saturday 5 April