“The majority of today's cars are built with practicality in mind, and that often means a compromise in their emotional message.”
From a 40-year career designing cars for Audi, Porsche and Mazda to capturing iconic vehicles on canvas, Peter Birtwhistle combines a lifelong passion for cars with his love of art.
In this LSA Artist Spotlight, Peter reflects on his remarkable career in automotive design, the freedom he finds in painting and what visitors can expect from his time as Artist in Residence at the LSA Art Room.
LSA: You’ve spent more than 40 years working in automotive design, including senior roles at Audi, Porsche and Mazda. Looking back, what first sparked your interest in drawing and designing cars?
I was lucky to be artistically gifted and was drawing from a very early age. As a small boy, I loved cars and naturally started drawing them. It was clear from then on that I wanted to design cars, and I made it my mission to achieve that goal.
LSA: Your career took you from Vauxhall in Luton to some of the world’s best-known automotive manufacturers. Which experiences or projects had the greatest influence on you as a designer?
It’s the dream of all designers to see their ideas realised in production. I was lucky to see many of my designs come to fruition. Seeing a design I contributed to parked in the street makes me very proud.
LSA: You now create automotive paintings, often featuring iconic cars. How does your approach to painting differ from designing a car, where creativity must work alongside engineering, commercial considerations and manufacturing constraints?
As an artist, you are free to express your ideas as you wish. Being creative in the industry, you will always have to make compromises. Now retired, I enjoy the freedom my art gives me.
LSA: Your work often captures the character of a particular vehicle, rather than simply recording its appearance. What makes a car an interesting subject to paint, and what are you hoping to convey beyond its design?
For many of my paintings, I focus on the reflections. The ever-changing surfaces of a car provide me with an infinite range of possibilities for creating a painting.
LSA: Your paintings include everything from classic Jaguars to racing Ferraris. Is there a particular car, era or design movement that continues to inspire you, and why?
I find that the fluid forms of many classic sports cars from the 1960s create fascinating reflections. That inspires me and influences my work.
LSA: You’ve documented your remarkable career in An English Car Designer Abroad. Did revisiting those experiences influence your approach to painting, and do you see connections between the cars you once designed and those you now choose to capture in your artwork?
I can’t say that writing my book had an influence on my artwork. Interestingly enough, I’ve never chosen one of the designs I worked on as a subject for a painting.
LSA: Having spent much of your career designing cars for the future, how do you feel about painting vehicles from the past? Does nostalgia influence your choice of subjects, or is it primarily their design that appeals to you?
The subjects of my paintings are often cars where the emotion of the design was the primary reason for their existence. The majority of today’s cars are built with practicality in mind, and that often means a compromise in their emotional message.
LSA: You’ve also taught at Coventry University. What did working with the next generation of designers teach you, and what advice would you give to someone hoping to pursue a creative career?
My tenure at Coventry University was spent teaching students classic drawing and illustration techniques. I soon learnt that, with all the digital tools available, the students had little interest in my traditional skills. Nevertheless, I strongly believe that without the ability to take a pencil in your hand and sketch an idea on paper with the correct proportions, you will not achieve your goal of becoming a designer.
LSA: As Artist in Residence at the LSA Art Room, what can visitors expect to see you working on, and what do you most enjoy about sharing your creative process with the public?
As Artist in Residence, I will demonstrate a fairly simple series of car side profiles to create a collage. I’ve created several of these in the past, and they’ve always been well received. For many people observing an artist at work, it can be unfathomable how they create their paintings. I’ll enjoy demonstrating my techniques and passing on my creative magic.