It’s fair to say that Ian Cook, better known as PopBang Colour, takes something of an unconventional approach to create his automotive artworks. Rather than use brushes, Ian creates his unique artwork with the wheels of remote-controlled cars.
“I haven’t used a brush since 2005 – I wouldn’t know how to,” Ian candidly admits. “Tyres are my brushes, and that’s my USP.”
This eccentric, performative technique – and the bold eye-catching artwork it creates – has taken Ian around the world and won him a Guinness World Record. He’s even painted with Disney for the Cars film and had a giant portrait of Lewis Hamilton displayed on Tower Bridge in London.
Bringing the livery together are the outlines of 32 different track layouts that Radical races at across 14 different championships
Ian’s latest commission will undoubtedly go down as another highlight of his 18-year career as an automotive artist: a Radical SR3 art car. And, after three months of hard work, crowds flocked to his stand at the Goodwood Festival of Speed to see the striking finished result.
“The thing about a Radical is that it’s a three-dimensional form and it’s all based on aero,” Ian explains. “On cars I’ve painted in the past there’s been flat surfaces to work on and panels you can take off. On the Radical everything is curved and I started from a completely blank canvas but I knew the bodywork on each side would be for sponsors because the way I work means that I can’t paint vertically.”
Ian’s SR3 is dubbed the “Rad and Cool” Radical art car in reference to the ‘90s and neon theme of the commission. Bringing the livery together are the outlines of 32 different track layouts that Radical races at across 14 different championships. Radical’s home circuit, Donington Park, graces the clamshell bonnet, while Abu Dhabi’s Yas Marina Circuit, host of the Radical World Series finale, graces the rear.
“I had no idea how it would look before I started but I wanted it to be tactile,” Ian continues. “I thought back to Andy Warhol’s BMW M1 Art Car. He painted it and it raced. This year I saw the latest BMW Art Car at Le Mans and it was a wrap. Is that truly an art car? I’m not sure. Today, everything is about performance, so you can’t just paint a car because you’re adding weight.
“The Radical had to be a living, breathing piece. It’s nothing like working on canvas because the paint doesn’t soak in, so I chased it over the bodywork with hairdryers to try and get it to run up and over the wings. In the beginning I was a bit nervous because there’s only one car and it was prepped for me. But as soon as I got over that hurdle it was easy to crack on.”
From a distance the Rad and Cool SR3 is certainly striking, but, as you get closer, it’s the smaller details that really draw you in. Miniature tyre treads subtly add texture to the paint and you can see where the colours have been allowed to run across the bodywork. Other neat touches include the bespoke emblems, which are miniaturised versions of a full-scale artwork, as well as the 648 race number, which references Radical’s 2009 Nurburgring lap record.
“I genuinely love motor sport, not just Formula 1 or Touring Cars, I like all of it,” Ian enthuses. “So it’s been great to work on this car with a totally free rein and bring it to Goodwood.”
The plan is for the Rad and Cool car to race in this year’s Hagerty Radical Cup UK, starting with the fifth round at Silverstone on July 26-28. “Our next step is to get it on track – I can’t wait to see this car run at Silverstone with The Wing building in the background, it’s going to look really cool.
“It will also be interesting to see how the look of the car develops once it has sponsor stickers on it and I’m also interested to see if the paint will affect the aero. It will certainly be a unique car for whoever ends up driving it.”
Ian also reveals he will be working on his first ever helmet design to match the Rad and Cool livery: “I want to do the helmet in the same style as the car. The helmet will be next but I need to figure out how to do it. The car was difficult because it’s not flat and the helmet is definitely not flat!”
For more on PopBang Colour, click here.
For more on Radical, click here.
