The real pricks were the wait staff at 100 East Congress in Tucson, our destination later that day. A restaurant called The Grill where our troupe, suddenly over a dozen strong, were told we could eat for free in exchange for the promotional value of our appearance. Meeting us there when we arrived were the Land Yacht, Jeff Carlock's Zebra Truck, three from Bisbee, Arizona including The Doll Car, The Funk Ambulance and Love 23, and several others not intent on the trip to Texas, but just turned out for the day.

Face it, wherever we go, a crowd forms. It's good for business. However, it seems some members of the caravan failed to tip the wait staff adequately (though a later tally swore to across-the-board tipping) and the hired help turned bitchy. By the time I sat down to eat later in the day, my waiter had at least four orders of fried zucchini up his ass. I asked him his name and he snarled something about his fifth amendment rights and "what is this a fucking interrogation?"

Free food and drinks for the caravan somehow wound up costing me twenty bucks at The Grill in Tucson. When I paid the bill at the register, the waitress taking my money spoke loudly over her shoulder to my waiter, saying, "Stick around for the arrival of the flea circus later on."

It was weird. Ours is a measure of freedom unacceptable to some people, a bold, public display of creativity. They were jealous. C'est la vie.

The energy on the street, however, was great. There were loads of people milling about the cars and many art car artists I hadn't yet met. I got to see true roadside hucksterism at work for the first time watching Harrod, Dan and Chris hawk Art Car Calendars, books, postcards and video copies of 'Wild Wheels' out of The Camera Van. It was exciting to see, and I rushed off to develop a roll of shots Harrod had taken of Duke that day so that I, too, would have something to sell. Years before I had discovered for myself the excitement of making money from my art. And back then it was hardly even art! Just a few layers of multi-colored mix-n-match paint. I didn't even have anything tangible to sell. But there I was, stranded at a scenic turnout on Highway 1 in Big Sur with no money for gas, turning Duke into cash by inviting people to paint on him for a small donation. [I documented that trip in On The Road With Duke, also on this website.] Now today, watching Harrod wheel and deal for the Art Car world, well.. it's nothing short of amazing.

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by Pineapple Publishing and Consulting
Art Cars in Cyberspace ©2004 Pineapple Publishing and Consulting
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Last update April 1, 2004