HERBERT PATTERSON

Herbert Patterson utilizes the imagery of cars and racing iconography to create a world of his own. He grew up loving Hot Wheels cars, putting automotive models together, and drawing the hot rods he saw as a kid sitting on his mom’s porch.

The logos and icons of Herbert’s car-centric world suggest speed, strength, and competition while the hand-drawn quality and the artist’s imaginative remixes of traditional car makes and models, demonstrate something softer and more personal about his artistry.

The longer and deeper someone looks, references begin to unfold of Patterson’s own personal narratives.  Most of the cars have a relation to a family member or friend that contains autobiographical truths about them.  His work embellishes car culture’s visual tropes, pushing his depicted vehicles almost to the point of absurdity, but rooted in Herbert’s lived knowledge.