Pattana Chuenmana’s first serious interest in forms and textures of automobiles can be dated back to early 2012 when he was involved in an automobile accident. Fortunately for him, he escaped unscathed. For days, he relived the moment of the accident in his mind, where he could hear the sound of metal crushing, and feel the quivering movements of his body, along with the smell of burning rubber as the tires slid relentlessly on the rough road. Thinking back, Chuenmana finds the whole ordeal horrifying yet exciting, in a bizarre way. He was driven and inspired to use the experience as part of his artistic direction.

The incorporation of Chuenmana’s experience into his artistic process intensified when he started to visit countless venues where crashed cars are disposed. The distorted forms and textures of those cars triggered his imagination. Looking at the abstract image of the catastrophe before him, he imagined “the mysterious terrain, the eccentrically beautiful shapes... imagining the journey of life after death”.

Automobiles are perceived as the symbol of journey in the modern world. Humans have invested time and labour throughout the years for the advancement of automobile and vehicular technology, with the hope of transporting us from one place to another in a faster and safer manner. As such, the number of cars on the streets has increased substantially, which consequentially also led to an ever increasing accident rate. For the sake of easy convenience by commuting via cars, people often put their lives in danger, as seen by the occurrence of road traffic accidents. Whilst the interpretation of death may vary in different societies and culture, death caused by car accidents has become a norm in modern society. In Chuenmana’s view, death is not the end but the beginning of an entirely different spiritual journey. Looking from one side of the spectrum, the journey can somewhat be called an adventure, for we will never know where, what or whom the mystical journey will lead to.

About the artist:

Pattana Chuenmana was born in Bangkok, Thailand in 1981. He graduated Bachelor of Fine Art Department of Painting, at Silpakorn University in 2005. After graduation, he took a keen interest in photography, and it has been his medium of choice ever since. His works usually reflect the existing turmoil between capitalism and the consumerist culture, and its effect on society.

-Richard Koh Fine Art

Image: © Pattana Chuenmana
Courtesy of the artist and Richard Koh Fine Art