Update : http://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2009/03/lars-erik-fisk-artist-with-vision-of.html
I just learned of this artist today, and after an hour on the internet could only get the basic idea that no one has the guts to show the great stuff this guy has done.
Some websites did mention the UPS truck ball, and the John Deere Tractor ball the Lars-Erik has made, but so far all mentions of this VW Bus Ball are just copying the photos from http://oblique.csail.mit.edu/Album/Shellenbarger/Shellenbarger_Summer_2001/Volkswagen2.jpg.html but without giving credit to the photographer, nice guy named Thouis, who told me I can use his photos, and only requested that I "Mark them as creative commons licensed, and please attribute Lars-Erik Fisk as the sculptor"
How cool is that?!
I first found this ball at a cool website I look at almost daily 'cause they find neat stuff like this all the time! They linked to http://blog.coker.com/index.php/2007/01/30/ which is also a cool website if you love cars and car rally's (nice wall paper and story about the '58 Austin that the High School girls restored Corky! )
His facts were a bit off, but well intentioned I've no doubt. As long as someone gets the word and the pics out I thank them all the same. Terriffic blogs, car guys, rockers, websites, and photographers, all made it possible for this cool artist's sculpture / mod to get some well deserved acclaim and attention.
Read the link at Corky's blog, it links to several other pages that highlight the fantastic rodding life of Billy Gibbons, one of the guitarists of ZZ Top, a favorite band of mine since the "Eliminator" album got my attention in the early 80's. Billy has a big hardcover book that you can buy at Walden Books, that really diplays the hot rods and cars Billy has had made. I'm just sad that the awesome pair of motorbikes don't seem to be in any of the links. Damn, they were part of a Hot Rod, or Car Craft, maybe even Popular Hot Rodding article that I clipped for the Cadzilla, Eliminator, and Kopperhead picturs. Loved every album since, and saw them in concert in San Diego on the XXX tour around 2001.
Kopperhead was made at the So-Cal Speed shop it seems, that's where the photos link to, the Cadzilla pic is linked to the Petersen Automotive Museum online slideshow of a great exhibition they had of guitars and hot rods. But, by far the best gallery of the cool rods that Billy has is at http://www.channel4.com/4car/gl/gallery/gallery/802/11 . Just go right there and get your fill of no expense spared, built by the best, hand crafted american iron.
If anyone knows where we can see anyother of Lars-Erik's sculptures, email me please so I can link others to them right here. The John Deere ball is reported to unfold and show working gears and stuff! So cool, and I love the dichotomy of the UPS ball being such a contrast to the boxy UPS trucks and boxes.
And thanks to cool websites like http://www.iwantavolkswagenbus.com/blog/2008/07/the-amazing-volkswagen-bus-ball-by-lars-erik-fisk/ for the compliments and for sending readers my way
