Is this 1959 Corvette Sting Ray Racer real, or is it art? Careful, this may be a trick question!
Bill Mitchell’s stunning 1969 Sting Ray is unquestionably as much a piece of art as it is as a mechanical masterpiece. What we are talking about however is Peter Maier’s artistic masterpiece that he often refers to as, “virtual reality in paint.”
There is no shortage of automotive artists working in a variety of mediums and styles and focusing on just about every segment of the automotive hobby. Popular mediums include original oils and acrylics; lithograph and giclee (pronounced jhee-clay) reproductions. Plus there are artists working with glass, wood, ceramics and metals. Peter Maier is unique as his art makes use of proprietary automotive paints, an elaborate process and high-tech fabricated aluminum panels.
Born in Brooklyn, Maier earned his Bachelor of Industrial Design at Pratt Institute in New York City and spent approximately 15 years at General Motors Design. Hired by the legendary Bill Mitchell, he worked as a Senior Automotive Designer in the Cadillac, Chevrolet and Pontiac Studios and left in 1980 to devote full time to his art. His studio is in Buck Hill Falls, PA.
Over the years Maier has produced an impressive portfolio of classic car, motorcycle, racecar, concept car and hot rod art. His 1959 Sting Ray is one of three pieces that are scaled to the subject’s exact dimensions. The life size Sting Ray, painted with more than 20 coats of metallic silver, weighs approximately 125 pounds. The other two are Bill Mitchell’s iconic 1961 Mako Shark Corvette concept car and Jeff Gordon’s NASCAR Chevrolet Lumina, weighing in at over 200 pounds!
Working on custom aluminum panels, Maier utilizes experimental waterborne CROMAX-WBC automotive paint formulated exclusively for him by DuPont. He has developed a unique technique and layering process that combines industrial paint technology with traditional brushwork. The process involves the application of dozens of layers of transparent paint, pure color over pure color. No colors are pre-mixed. Some coats of paint are applied wet over dry; others are wet over wet. Then comes the clear coat and wet sanding, followed by additional applications of clear.
According to Maier, “This process produces an illusion of depth, surface and saturation not possible with traditional mediums. Often my cars and motorcycles look like they are under glass.”
You have to get up close and personal with Peter Maier’s paintings to see that they are not photographic images. When I saw the Sting Ray at the Meisel Gallery I felt as though I was back at GM’s Milford Proving Grounds where I had photographed the real Sting Ray for VETTE Magazine in the July, 1977. He truly captures the soul and essence of the machines he paints!
The Louis K. Meisel Gallery in New York City represents Peter Maier: http://www.meiselgallery.com/LKMG/
For more information on Bill Mitchell’s 1959 Corvette Sting Ray racer, visit:
http://www.conceptcarz.com/vehicle/z6401/Chevrolet-Corvette-Stingray-Racer.aspx