Now In The Shop: A Selection Of Artwork From Simon Owens’ ‘Racing Colours’

Simon Owens’ “Racing Colours” collection of prints and aluminum artwork has recently been added to the Shop. The complete works in this series can also be found in his book of the same name. You can find all of Owens’ work in the Petrolicious Shop.

With so many artists aiming their abilities at the automotive world these days, it can be a challenge to find a unique perspective in the ever-growing pile, to say nothing of what it must require to actually create something fresh. Luckily for us, people like Simon Owens are out there doing just that, and we’re proud to pass his work on to you.

The approach he’s taken in this selection of his work is sort of built on contradiction. In the most general sense, this is art with “racing cars” as the subject, yet there is practically no semblance of the car’s form within the dimensions of the frame. Instead, we are presented with a vibrant and intimately cropped portrait of a series of infamous liveries from across the years and series of motorsport.

On a purely aesthetic basis, these interesting racing portraits—all of which are available as traditional prints on paper, or, if you crave some added authenticity, they can all be transferred onto aluminum to give the feel of a true body panel—provide a burst of saturation and brightness that’s equally at home in the garage, or, well, in the home.

Beyond the blends of color and shape though, is the way these works can trigger your imagination through their minimalism. It’s the classic idea of letting your mind fill in the rest more vividly than anything that can be hung on a wall. Instead of having a poster of the Stirling Moss 300SLR in full, it can be so much more fun to hang the essence of the car on your wall to use as an enticer for daydreams. Indeed, Owens demonstrates an adept sense of space in all of these pieces, allowing for just enough of the car in frame to spark your mind into not only filling in the rest of course, but perhaps into the driver’s seat. With less, your mind can do more.

Our selection of his work includes a veritable all-star cast of vintage racing sports cars, formula cars, and prototypes from the ‘50s through ‘80s. With a range spanning Bruce McLaren and Chris Amon’s Le Mans winning GT-40 all the way to the gravel-shredding pairing of Lancia and Martini, there’s quite a lot of history packed into these tightly framed pieces. To pick out your favorite, view our selection of “Racing Colours” in the Shop.