Mascots in Motion, Images and Stories of Automotive Aesthetics
by Steve Purdy
A beautiful, text-light and image-rich book described by its author, who is also the photographer and publisher, and Ed Lucas, who scribed the Foreword, as “an art book.” Thus, the creator of the images and writer of the text, Steve Purdy, chose to have his book designed and produced by the Grand Rapids (Michigan)-based art book specialists at M.J. Jacobs. It’s an elegant production printed on archival paper that in every way is the embodiment of what’s meant by a coffee table book.
Readers of a certain age might recall—even have a copy of—Motoring Mascots of the World originally published in 1977 and then re-issued in an expanded and revised edition in 1990 and may have itself been reprinted in 1998. It contains wonderful, clear and sharp photos of nearly 1,000 motoring mascots as it was intended as a reference. Text is limited but the captions identifying the exclusively black and white images, written in both French and English, describe each in detail including the maker and designer of each when known.
This Mascots in Motion offers its images—each shot with an eye to enhance the drama—in full and glorious color with many printed full page and some even larger, as in double-truck. This book is purely a celebration accompanied by some text which Purdy says he “created to entertain and enlighten car people, history buffs, and art lovers.” In spite of its title, the images are not exclusively motoring mascots as there are some body parts or trim pieces shot for the artfulness of the reflections that drew Purdy’s eye, then his camera’s lens, to them.
The only camera Purdy mentions is the Canon FTb with a fixed-focus 200 mm lens he inherited leaving the distinct impression that all the images in his book may have been shot with just it, then to now.
Purdy creatively demonstrates his pleasure and enjoyment of the language as he expresses in his Introduction and by naming his company Shunpiker Productions LLC. If that is a word unfamiliar to you, think William Least-Heat Moon. Thus your commentator found it a bit puzzling that Purdy (or perhaps whoever proofread the copy) apparently thought spelling the front of a car as grille was an affectation rather than truly how dictionaries differentiate that part of the car from that which we cook on as the latter is the spelling used throughout the book.
Visitors to your parlor or living or family room aren’t likely to read many of the words Steve Purdy has included in his book. But those visitors—whether or not they are automotively oriented—will be drawn to open the cover to look at the images. Then, who knows what conversations might be initiated for isn’t that one of the reasons for having and putting such a book out and on display?
Copyright 2024 Helen V Hutchings (speedreaders.info)
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