It’s Memorial Day weekend and everyone in Indianapolis knows what that means…It’s time for the THE GREATEST SPECTACLE IN RACING! For as long as I can remember the Indianapolis 500 has been somewhat of a sacred tradition in my family. If the weather is above 55 degrees and it isn’t raining, my dad will turn on the race broadcast and pull into the driveway every car and/or lawn mower he can find. And so the annual race-day car wash begins. With the broadcast blaring so loud you can hear it for at least a half mile, the rest of the family (and neighborhood) is forced to listen. I won’t complain. I love the broadcast. The bellow of Jim Neighbors singing the line “Back home again in Indiana” gives me goosebumps. The first roar of the engines makes my adrenaline rush.
While many people stay at home and listen to the radio, hundreds of thousands more pour into the track every year as spectators. As the largest and highest-capacity sporting facility in history, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway can hold more than 400,000 fans. That means in one day the track gets as many visitors as the IMA does in an entire year. That’s amazing!
So, what is it that race cars have that art doesn’t? Is it the rich history of the race? Maybe, but the IMA has actually been around 26 years longer. In fact, both the track and the IMA’s Lilly House are listed as National Historic Landmarks. Is it the IMS’s marketing team? I know they are good. but I don’t think that we can chalk this up entirely to advertising. Maybe it’s the food at the track? A giant turkey leg does sound tempting, but so too does a big Wolfgang Puck’s pizza. I think it has to be the goose-bump factor? As mentioned above, there’s something about the race that causes my blood to start pumping faster and the hairs on my neck to stick up. The thrill of the event may be enough to attract 400,000 folks. But, I will say I still don’t think race cars have a leg up on art in this case.
In my lifetime I have had several works of art that like the roar of the race cars at the speedway have made my pulse race. Some have even changed my life. (I’ve definitely never had a race car do that.)
In the spirit of the upcoming weekend, I offer a list of works of art that “start my engine”:
- The Parthenon Marbles at the British Museum in London – Honestly, these sculptures changed my life.
- Fountain by Marcel Duchamp – I didn’t understand what art really was until I saw this piece at the IU Art Museum. It’s a multiple so there are plenty more sprinkled around the world.
- Pater Noster by Sean Landers at the Denver Art Museum – I could spend days just staring at this piece.
- Acton by James Turrell at the IMA – Take some time with it and it may just blow your mind.
Race fans, Art fans and Blog Readers – What works of art get your adrenaline pumping? What gives you the goose-bumps at the IMA? Share your own lists below. I’d love to hear what you guys think.
In the meantime…I’m off to the races!
May 22nd, 2008 at 12:25 pm
I can honestly say that the old railway station hall of the Musee D’Orsay, as well as all the great works of art there, stopped me in my tracks.
At the same time, so does a luke-warm american brewed beer, a kiddie pool and a slip & slide at the Greatest Spectacle in Racing!
May 22nd, 2008 at 12:33 pm
Thanks, Matt! Can’t wait for Sunday. WooHoo infield!
May 23rd, 2008 at 10:33 am
You’re asking the wrong question. It should be, “What do racing and art have in common?” The sensual lines of the cars, the rainbow of colors, logos, portraits of drivers in victory and defeat, shiny metal engines, form and function, the behind-the-scenes effort of putting on a good show (race or exhibition).