Car Culture

Here’s what’s to love about a muscle car: candy colors, waxy gloss, racing stripes and beefy but aerodynamic lines. Each one is like a rolling metal-and-leather vial of testosterone that can’t help but point out in all directions. And vintage Camaros and Mustangs? They’re bullies on wheels, but works of art, too.

It’s no wonder that artist Amanda Gordon Dunn — whose day job as an architectural metal worker already guarantees an appreciation for the strength and masculine beauty of raw steel — is attracted to them. Dunn’s automotive inspiration takes shape in a solo show, American Muscle, that opens tonight with a reception from 6 to 10 p.m. at Pirate Contemporary Art, 3655 Navajo Street. In it, Dunn has integrated those compelling muscle car features, right down to the pinstriping, into a series of wall-reliant sculptures created from painted cloth stretched over sculptural bases. A departure for Dunn, the works play with shapes and shadows, with just a suggestion of all that power under the hood.

American Muscle continues through May 31; visit www.pirateartonline.org or call 303-458-6058.
May 15-31, 2009