My name is Ian Cook, from popbangcolour.
I’m known for creating artworks using radio control cars, car tyres and toy car wheels. I predominantly work within the car and motor sports industry, living in the Midlands, in the area that’s known as motor sport valley. I’ve grown up with it – my uncle has worked through Jaguar Land Rover, BMW, Honda. My interest has always been from him, inspired by him.
I wanted to be a car designer, but I’m a messy lad – I’m not an engineer I can’t do clean things. I was always going to be an artist and my passion is vehicles and cars. I grew up with my dad taking me to circuits – Mallory Park and tin top racing, Donington. Now I’m lucky enough to be invited to events like this, Chelsea Auto Legends, but also down to Silverstone, been asked to Abu Dhabi a couple of times... I’ve been able to meet some of the legends of the industry as well.
More recently I did a piece for Sky Sports with Lewis Hamilton down at the Tate Modern. That was very surreal!
It was a portrait that I was asked to create of Lewis which he finished off at the Tate Modern. It was good, it happened, sometimes projects I pitch don’t happen. I’ve also painted with Jensen Button on his terrace in Abu Dhabi three hours before he raced which was really exciting. I’ve met Stirling Moss, had a cup of tea at his house. I’ve met touring car drivers and all kinds of people from the industry.
I don’t have a particular favourite form of motorsport – I like it all. I mean F1 has a buzz about it – it’s F1! I think touring cars has a similar feel to it – it’s family oriented, everybody’s in it for the right reasons, racing, enjoying it. Endurance racing – I did Brit Car, created near on 24 hours at the Silverstone event which was really cool.
I like creating different artworks with road cars, race cars... More recently I did the Honda World Superbike team, creating with Jonathan Rea down at Silverstone which was a nice thing to do, go to bikes.
Doing the car wraps is really cool as well... They’re a fun thing to do... my car is done, we’ve got Lord Pembroke’s Bugatti done as well – it’s called BugARTi... That was another little fun thing which I never expected to do, wrap a million pound car – who’d have thought?
The exciting thing for me is having that different variety of spice of creating at different events.
Ian Cook
popbangcolour.com Find me on twitter @popbangcolour
Ian shared this memory for the Replay Motorsport project at the www.chelseaautolegends.com show on 3rd September 2012. Our thanks go to Chelsea Autolegends in making this memory possible.
Follow Sporting Memories Network @sportsmemnet for the very latest Replay Memories and network news updates
Memory added on October 6, 2012
Comments (Add your voice)
No comments have yet been added to this memory.
