My studio visit with Pippa Garner was incredibly interesting. Pippa was born Philip Garner, fought in the Vietnam war, and then in 1993 at the age of 50 underwent surgery to become a woman. She is now 72 years old. In my discussion with Pippa I was really intrigued by the richness and diversity of her work. She began her career as an artist at Art Center in LA and was in a circle of notable artists such as Chris Burden and Ed Ruscha. She has worked in video, performance, drawing, sculpture and most recently has taken professional acting classes. What ties all her interests together is her wit and sense of humor which she applies to her cultural commentary.
Pippa's work centers on cars that are more than just cars. She is famous for some of her functioning automotive creations, like the 1968 Buick LeSabre Boat Car with a flying bridge and a plaque reading "Long time no sea." Some of her latest "buggies" are pictured below; these are pedal-driven vehicles that Pippa actually does use to drive around in Long Beach. She is also a talented illustrator. Her drawings, a sampling of which can be seen below, also focus on cars and are done with the humor of a cartoonist--they are totally hilarious.
Pippa will be featured along with some other car-focused artists in a car-themed show at OUTLET in July.
