Wayne State University's Elaine L. Jacob Gallery is pleased to announce its presentation of Designing an Icon: Creativity and the American Automobile, an exhibition organized by the Louisville Visual Art Association (Kentucky). This industrial design exhibition features nearly 100 sketches and renderings generated in the 1960s and 1970s by designers in the process of creating annual models for the large American automobile manufacturers of General Motors, Ford and Chrysler. During this period, the fierce competition between manufacturers, and even their own divisions, brought about a frantic pace of design activity. Product secrecy was of the highest priority, and disclosures or "leaks" of new designs were manifest disasters. Most of the vast output of design artwork was stored in company files, once it had served its usefulness, with strict policies that it must not leave the premises. However, some designers were able to maintain some of their work until it was thoroughly out of date, or perhaps until designers' retirements, at which time they could take possession of the work, with company permission. Still, only a modest amount of such automotive design art exists today, and this material is the source of Designing an Icon.

Exhibition: Designing an Icon: Creativity and the American Automobile Dates: November 21 through January 16, 2008 Opening: Friday, November 21, 5-8PM Hours: Tuesdays - Thursdays 10AM-6PM and Fridays 10AM-7PM Contact: Lisa Baylis Gonzalez or Stephany Sowards at (313) 577-0770

The exhibition has a special focus on the art of design, and the creative process particular to the design of the complex, technological and dynamic automobile. The drawings illustrate the creative thought and work process -- from the designers' earliest concept "doodles" or sketches, to design development drawings on vellum, and the highly polished engineering drawings and finished product renderings. The full size clay model was the final design tool in the world of all studios at this time, and the exhibition includes one such model by David McIntosh, formerly of the design staff of General Motors.

Designing an Icon was curated by Kay Grubola, Artistic Director of the Louisville Visual Art Association, with important assistance from legendary General Motors designer of the 1960s and 70s, and automotive historian, William Porter. The show includes original art created in the highly secure automotive manufacturers design studios, never before on view to the public. Done without the use of computers, and with materials and techniques such as Prismacolor pencil and pastel on vellum, chalk on Canson paper, and gouache on Crescent Board, the works display virtuoso draftsmanship and use of color.

The automotive designers whose works will be on view, include Wayne Kady, Elia Russinoff, Roger Hughet, Jerry Brochstein, Tony Balthasar, Graham Bell, George Camp, Bob Hubbach, Jim Kristich, Bob Luyckx, Bill Michalak, John Perkins, Fred Pizzurro, William Porter, Charlie Stewart, Galen Wickersham, Don Wood, and Dennis Wright. A sequence of drawings by Dave McIntosh tells the story of a single sports car concept from the first impulsive sketch on vellum all the way to the views prepared for presentation to company executives.

William Porter, who was the designer of distinctive shapes like the 1968 Pontiac GTO, and went on to head the Pontiac and Buick studios, discovered the material from which Grubola selected works for Designing an Icon. In conjunction with this exhibition, Bill Porter and Kay Grubola will give gallery talks at the exhibition's opening reception on Friday, November 21, from 5PM until 8PM which is free of charge an open to the public The Elaine L. Jacob Gallery is located at 480 W. Hancock (between Cass and Second) in Detroit, on the campus of Wayne State University.