lifesize wooden car painstakingly crafted by artist pontus willfors

the california artist, pontus willfors, takes his car nostalgia to the next level with this project. he has recreated the profile of his ford falcon in hardwood, whittling it down slowly from a block off wood. the artist has worked diligently to reach this lifelike result.

all images courtesy of pontus willfors | main image by brica wilcox

his car shrine has been left unpainted, perhaps in an attempt to poke fun at its paradoxical materiality. perhaps it is just to document all the time he actually spent carving this car, whose inspiration was made quickly on an assembly line over 40 years ago. this wooden car is the artist’s solo work to be featured in the denk gallery in los angeles from february 24 – april 7, 2018. willfors frequently works in wood and a lot of his art can be characterized by moments where the natural world meets the manufactured — this piece takes a step in a new direction.

the artist has worked diligently to reach this lifelike result

a closer look reveals the marks of tool-work

the artist finishing the installation

every detail of the car was made to fit specifications

art mimicking reality, the artists inspiration is parked right behind him

the car was carved painstakingly out of a solid piece of wood

refining the stucture

almost complete